His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio yesterday received and welcomed the new United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone, Madam Seraphine Wakana, who was appointed by Secretary General, Mr. António Guterres, in November 2023. The envoy, who was accompanied by the Senior Human Rights Advisor, Uchenna Emelonye, Peace & Development Advisor, Simonetta Rossi and Communication and Advocacy Lead, Osman …

𝐁𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐁. 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐲. The first accused in the ongoing Court Martial hearing of 27 serving Military personnel, Staff Sergeant Alhaji Koroma of the 11th Battalion and with Force Number RSLAF 18171601 yesterday pleaded guilty to mutiny, communicating with the enemy, aiding the enemy, and failure to suppress mutiny, all contrary to the Armed Forces of the Republic of Sierra …

𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐚 Few months to his death in May 1988, former President Siaka Stevens requested his friend, The Gambian President, Sir Dauda Jawara, to allow him to travel to Banjul for medical treatment. His health had seriously deteriorated at the time. President Sir Dauda Jawara wrote a letter to President Joseph Saidu Momoh, asking him to graciously allow his …

𝐁𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐁. 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐲. Magistrate Santigie Bangura presiding over the ongoing treason Preliminary Investigation (PI) hearing against Amadu Koita and eleven other ex-military personnel has ordered for the appearance of the 8th accused, Bai Mamoud Bangura who is reported sick and hopitalised in Freetown. The matter came up yesterday at the Freetown Pademba Road Magistrate Court No.2, and with the …

𝐁𝐲 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐭 In a jubilant celebration that echoed through the heart of Kailahun town, Hon. Robin Faley, the dedicated coordinator of the community/citizens engagement unit at the Office of the Chief Minister, State House, received a hero’s welcome upon his return to Kailahun District. This joyous occasion marked not only a triumphant homecoming for Faley but also a …

On behalf of the President of Guinea Mamadi Doumbouya, Prime Minister @Bernard_Goumou recently led a high level delegation to Sierra Leone to thank @PresidentBio and commend the 15 Sierra Leoneans including myself who travelled to Guinea to provide support following the fire incident. I was awarded the Grand Officier de L’ordre National du Kolatier de la République de Guinée for …

𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐤𝐡 𝐌 𝐁𝐚𝐰𝐨𝐡. Last week’s publication by the leading Sierra Leonean Think Tank, the Institute of Governance Reform which highlighted amongst other issues people’s perception of what they thought might have motivated the recent coup makes an insightful reading. In the IGR study titled: Violence Entrepreneurs- Understanding the Actors and the Incentives behind the November 26 failed Coup”, five …

On Thursday 21st December, 2023, the team manager for the Sierra Leone Police Female Football team who doubles as the President of Police Wives Association and wife of the Inspector General of Police Mrs. Matilda Doris Sellu has unveiled four (4) sets of new football kits belonging to the female team of SLP FC. Addressing the players after unveiling the …

B𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐆𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑙𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑙 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑠𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝐴𝑚𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟 𝐷𝑟. 𝐿𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑎 𝐺𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒, 𝑆𝑖𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑎 𝐿𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒’𝑠 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑅𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑂𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑎, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠, 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠. Nothing that President Bio has done since taking office in 2018 …

𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐚. The American diplomat, statesman and philosopher Thomas Jefferson, in a newspaper a rticle said, “Let us unite with one heart and one mind”. He was addressing the American people. He served as the third President of the United States of America between 1801 and 1809. In the aftermath of the Sunday, 26th November, 2023 attempted coup, His …