Author: gleanernewspaper

The President of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), 𝐌𝐫. 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐢 𝐊𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚 has officially presented 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐀 𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 approved to officiate international matches in 2026. The ceremony was held on Wednesday, 4 February, at the SLFA Headquarters in Kingtom, marking another significant step in the Association’s ongoing efforts to strengthen match officiating and enhance Sierra Leone’s presence on the global football stage. The presentation followed FIFA’s publication of its list of international match officials for the year, which features five centre referees and five assistant referees from Sierra Leone. The selected officials include six men…

Sierra Leone took the global stage on Wednesday, when Foreign Affairs Minister Timothy Musa Kabba represented the country at the invitation-only Critical Minerals Ministerial held at the United States State Department in Washington, D.C. The high-level meeting brought together foreign ministers and senior government officials from all over the world to discuss the growing strategic importance of critical minerals for global supply chains, economic security, and technological innovation. The summit, hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, focused on strengthening trusted international partnerships, addressing supply chain vulnerabilities, and advocating for responsible, sustainable mineral resource development. Delegates discussed policy options,…

Dr Ibrahim Bangura (DIB) Following the announcement of the party’s National Delegates Conference (NDC) dates, Dr Ibrahim Bangura (DIB) is expected to be elected as the All People’s Congress (APC) flagbearer. The conference is set to take place from August 9 to 12, 2026, at Bai Bureh Hall in Port Loko Township, Port Loko District. With the NDC on the agenda, supporters and delegates are increasingly positioning the party to rally behind a candidate whom they believe can challenge the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and reclaim the presidency in 2028. Across party gatherings and grassroots meetings, delegates have stated…

Hachem Abdelhafid, Algerian Ambassador to Sierra Leone, and Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas Hachem Abdelhafid, the first Resident Algerian Ambassador to Sierra Leone, paid a courtesy call on the Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, Speaker of the Parliament of Sierra Leone, was part of a meeting aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries’ legislatures.Ambassador Abdelhafid, who took up his post after Algeria’s resident embassy in Sierra Leone opened in 2025, thanked Speaker Thomas for his time and emphasised the importance of strengthening diplomatic and parliamentary ties. He cited Algeria and Sierra Leone’s shared experiences, noting that both countries…

President Dr Julius Maada Bio has officially launched a new Joint Education Programme at Freetown Polytechnic’s Jui Campus, praising China Railway Seventh Group (CRSG) for its active role in transferring technical skills and creating employment opportunities for Sierra Leonean youth. The initiative, a collaboration between CRSG, Zhengzhou Railway Technician College, and Freetown Polytechnic, aims to provide hands-on, industry-relevant training that goes beyond theoretical instruction.President Bio addressed participants and stakeholders at the launch, describing the program as timely and strategic, noting that it is directly aligned with his administration’s Human Capital Development agenda and the broader Big Five priorities. He emphasised…

By Austine Luseni. Babadi Kamara, President of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), and Deputy Minister of Mines Umaru Napoleon Koroma paid a courtesy call on Minister of Energy Cyril Arnold Grant to congratulate him on his appointment and discuss potential collaboration between the Ministry of Energy and their respective institutions.Kamara emphasised that modern football operations in Sierra Leone rely heavily on a reliable electricity supply. He noted that the majority of Leone Rock Premier League matches in the country are played under floodlights, making consistent power necessary for fixture staging. Aside from lighting, he emphasised the broader economic role…

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, in his capacity as Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, has called for an urgent renewal and strengthening of regional cooperation, backed by sustained international support, to address escalating peace and security threats across West Africa. Addressing the ECOWAS High-Level Consultative Conference on Regional Cooperation and Security in Accra, President Bio warned that insecurity, particularly in the Central Sahel, has reached a critical point that can no longer be contained by individual national efforts.President Bio argued that West Africa is now facing a shared security…

By Claudia Redwood-Sawyerr Sierra Leone’s Minister of Information and Civic Education, Hon. Chernor Bah, has been formally honoured by film industry leaders following a series of high-level engagements aimed at implementing the country’s first-ever National Film Policy.The meetings, attended by senior representatives from the Sierra Leone Film Council and the Sierra Leone Film Guild, aimed to move the policy from text to practice. Participants used the sessions to develop an operational strategy to guide industry development, clarify institutional responsibilities, and outline the next steps in implementation. During the gatherings, industry leaders recognised Minister Bah’s leadership of the long-awaited policy by…

Sierra Leone’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Barrie, paid a courtesy call on the Hon. Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah (Cee Bah), at the Youyi Building to discuss ways to deepen bilateral cooperation and support the country’s national priorities.During the meeting, Ambassador Barrie and Minister Bah discussed the Government’s “Big Five” agenda and how stronger relations with Saudi Arabia could help the country’s development goals. The Ambassador briefed the Minister on existing areas of cooperation between Sierra Leone and Saudi Arabia, and they discussed ways to expand collaboration, particularly in development-related…

Declaring 2026 to be a “year of action,” President Julius Maada Bio promised concrete outcomes for Sierra Leoneans. However, his administration’s decision to increase the pump price of petroleum products just one month after making that commitment has caused widespread annoyance, with many fearing the action will worsen the already dire economic situation.  The decision by officials to raise the price of fuel, which is considered a political and economic commodity in this country, is anticipated to have immediate repercussions. Traders caution that as production and transportation costs rise, the cost of living necessities, particularly daily foodstuffs, will also rise. Commercial…