Author: gleanernewspaper

Justice Paula da Conceição Machatine Honwana was sworn in as a Judge of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone (RSCSL). In a ceremony held in Freetown before the opening of the Plenary of Judges, Justice Machatine Honwana made a solemn declaration before the RSCSL Vice President Justice Emmanuel E. Roberts to “without fear or favour, affection or ill-will, serve as a Judge of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone honestly, faithfully, impartially and conscientiously.” She subscribed to the solemn declaration before Justice Pierre Boutet, and in front of witnesses representing the two parties to the RSCSL Agreement. Stephen…

By Shadrach Aziz Kamara The Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone (RSCSL) recently wrapped up a two-day Legacy Conference with the theme “Raising Awareness of the Special Court for Sierra Leone in International Justice, Peace, and Security.” A wide range of people attended the event, which was hosted at the Bintumani Conference Centre in Freetown. These included academics from universities, representatives from NGOs, international experts, legal experts, war victims, and leaders of Communities.  During the conference, the Vice President of the RSCSL, Justice Emmanuel Ekundayo Roberts, emphasised the importance of the Special Court’s legacy in promoting justice, accountability, and peace.…

By Juliana Vandy StratCom Adviser MoICE After a two-week-long intensive study in migration management at the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra Ghana, I have come to realize the importance of community relations, and civic and public education in migration management. From my professional lens, during the course, it was clear that a good number of the challenges migrants face during their journey are centred on a lack of adequate information. The inadequate information on the processes of migration is not only limited to the migrants but also the officials involved in the process of migration as well as…

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Finance, Sheku Ahmed F. Bangura, is at present in China as part of an advanced team for President Julius Maada Bio’s upcoming State visit to China. The Minister has already begun engaging key financial institutions, including the China Development Bank, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the People’s Bank of China, the China Export-Import (EXIM) Bank and others for potential economic cooperation between Sierra Leone and China. The meetings were also aimed at carving out cooperation in infrastructural development and other investment opportunities. President Bio is scheduled to visit China at the end of February…

A decree announced on national television on Tuesday announced the appointment of economist and former opposition leader Mamadou Oury Bah to the position of Prime Minister in junta-led Guinea. Amid an indefinite general strike that was initiated this week, due to severe economic hardships and the military authorities’ purportedly oppressive policies, the veteran politician faces a difficult task in forming a government. In a video seen on television, Bah took the oath of office in front of Mamady Doumbouya, the acting President. Doumbouya is the Commander of Special Forces who overthrew Alpha Conde in a coup in 2021. Since the…

The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change are attending the Sixth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) in Nairobi, Kenya. To address urgent environmental challenges, world leaders, civil society organisations, the scientific community, and the private sector come together for this high-level meeting. The subject of the UNEA-6 this year is “Effective, inclusive, and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.”The Assembly, the highest decision-making body in environmental matters, has several important responsibilities, including setting the global environmental agenda, creating policy guidelines, and defining responses to new environmental…

A commitment to inclusive and equitable trade was reiterated by Sierra Leone’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Alpha Sesay, during the 13th session of the World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He underlined the value of inclusivity, multilateralism, and attending to the needs of weaker economies inside the WTO framework. Sierra Leone, a developing country, is aware of the transformative potential of trade in promoting economic expansion, generating employment, and reducing poverty. The Trade Minister did acknowledge the ongoing difficulties and inequalities, especially for the weakest and least developed states. To ensure that no country…

The Minister of Youth Affairs, Mohamed Orman Bangura, led a team from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) to deliver agricultural equipment to the Chairman of the Moyamba District Council to increase agricultural productivity in Sierra Leone and support President Julius Maada Bio’s Feed Salone initiative. The equipment was delivered by TIKA Lead, Mehmet Ozdemir, to boost local production and cultivation The initiative, which is a collaboration between the governments of Turkey and Sierra Leone, intends to increase agricultural output while emphasising the value of independent food production. The project aims to increase food security and contribute to the…

The China Railway Seventh Group (CRSG) has been making significant strides in managing the three toll gates, a responsibility vested in the company through an agreement with the government of Sierra Leone. The impact of CRSG’s attentive stewardship of the 62km Wellington-Masiaka highway cannot be overstated. The company has garnered widespread acclaim for its pivotal role in enhancing the country’s economy, generating employment opportunities, curbing road accidents, reducing travel time, and instilling confidence in potential investors. As a conscientious international entity and investor, CRSG has demonstrated considerable patience amid exchange variation ratios surpassing 10%. Notably, the recent exchange rate adjustment…

Chinese President Xi Jinping Announces ¥50 Million Economic and Technical Assistance, ¥20 Million Debt Cancellation and 1500 Tonnes of Food Assistance for Sierra Leone Beijing, China, On Wednesday 28 February 2024, His Excellency President Xi Jinping announced a ¥50 million economic and technical assistance, ¥20 million debt cancellation and 1500 tonnes of Food Assistance for Sierra Leone during a bilateral meeting with Sierra Leone’s President Dr Julius Maada Bio, who is on a state visit to China. During the meeting, President Xi Jinping stated that President Bio was the first African Head of State to be received in 2024, and described…