Author: gleanernewspaper

The EU’s election observation mission to Sierra Leone on Tuesday 10th October 2023, highlighted statistical inconsistencies, intimidation and political violence in its final report on the June 24 Elections, recommending a string of measures to boost transparency, safety and freedom of expression. “Voters’ trust in the credibility of elections was undermined by (a) lack of transparency during critical stages of the process,” the mission said in the report, which it presented to President Julius Maada Bio on Tuesday. “Tabulation and announcement of results proved to be the tipping point for the credibility of the elections. The entire process was opaque,…

Of all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), African countries are clearly on track to achieve SDG 9, which aims for sustainable industrialization that benefits all and encourages innovation. Nearly 4 out of five people on the African continent own a cell phone, the world’s fastest-growing mobile phone market. However, the annual report on the MDGs in Africa points to delays and disparities in the expansion of rural roads. Internet connectivity and cell phone penetration are the anchor points for Africa’s progress towards the ninth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 9), namely to achieve inclusive and sustainable industrialization, combined with innovation and…

The new United States Ambassador to Sierra Leone, His Excellency Bryan D. Hunt, on Monday 9 October 2023, paid a courtesy call on the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu. During the meeting in the office of the Speaker in Parliament at Tower Hill in Freetown, a wide range of important bilateral issues were discussed, as well as the participation of the Opposition (APC) Members of Parliament in the governance of the State. In his opening statement, the United States Ambassador said he visited the Speaker to pay his respect before the House resumed its Recess…

Following the refusal of the Chief Electoral Commissioner for Sierra Leone to grant access to a popular pro-democracy lawyer and human rights activist, Augustine Sorie-Sengbe Marrah, he has brought an action against the Chief Electoral Commissioner and the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone, on the basis that the refusal or denial of the ECSL to grant him access to the unaggregated or disaggregated results, otherwise known as the Results Reconciliation Forms) of the 11,712 ECL’s designated polling station results for the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Council Elections held on 24th June 2023, was and is a violation of his right to freedom of…

ByM Muhannad Ayyash For decades, Israel, aided and abetted by the American empire, has sought to politically erase Palestine from the map. Over the past few days, Palestinians have proved, once again, that they won’t easily give up their indigenous claim to and sovereignty over the land stolen from them. I do not use “sovereignty” here to mean “the authority to govern a land” in the narrow Euro-American sense. Rather, I’m speaking of an authority to govern that stems from the deep, non-utilitarian connection between a people and their ancestral land – a connection that renders meaningless all other political…

In a groundbreaking initiative aimed at revolutionising courier services and e-commerce in Sierra Leone, a comprehensive training program on the use, efficacy, and potential impact of the SENME app has been done with about a dozen bike riders in Freetown. The initiative, funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is being hailed as a commendable effort to empower Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and foster economic growth in the country. SENDME, a cutting-edge ride-hailing and delivery startup, connects customers with vetted bike riders, ensuring swift and secure deliveries. The training program aims to familiarise bike riders with the app’s…

By Anton Sokolin Valiant’s appearance in DPRK ports may indicate the ship’s purchase of or attempt to smuggle fossils or arms, experts say. An obscure Sierra Leone-flagged freighter, with a murky past, appeared in key North Korean ports in what experts described as a possible attempt to smuggle energy resources or weaponry, in violation of U.N. sanctions. The 1,361-ton Valiant sailed from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Sept. 28 and reached North Korea’s largest port of Nampho on Sept. 30 and Songnim — a DPRK port upstream of the Taedong River — on Oct. 4, Marine Traffic data shows. The vessel’s past movements and discrepancies…

As they continue to give back to their subscribers in various communities across the country through the Africell Mega Promo, the leading mobile company in Sierra Leone, Africell, has presented a brand new motorbike to the sixth lucky winner of Africell Mega Promo for this week. Receiving the brand new motorbike from Africell in Makeni on Tuesday, September 12, Zainab Dumbuya, the sixth lucky winner for this week, expressed thanks and appreciation to Africell for taking her out of poverty, after 40 years of struggle. “I felt good and excited. I want to express my thanks and appreciation to Africell for…

“Only time will tell whether the President will allow the actions of a few individuals to truncate his avowed stance on attracting and sustaining interest in the country’s private sector.” Political and macroeconomic instability, low growth, weak infrastructure, poor governance, and inhospitable regulatory environments hinder massive Foreign Direct Investments into Africa. Consequently, countries in the continent have continued to battle stubbornly high inflation, rising food and energy prices, and weaker currencies, due to weak investment frameworks that can guarantee Foreign Direct Investment. A leading developer and operator of world-class industrial ecosystems across Africa, ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP) is currently…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spent the past three decades sounding the alarm about Iran’s nuclear programme and threatening to attack the country on countless occasions. Most recently in September, he said in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly that Tehran must face a “credible nuclear threat” before his office corrected the record to “credible military threat”. After Hamas’s attack on October 7, Netanyahu may finally be able to act on his threats. The gruesome scenes in southern Israel have provided the Israeli prime minister with the necessary pretext and international backing for a wider response. Netanyahu has both…