Western Area Urban

John Baimba Sesay: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 5 August 2026: Today, Wednesday, 5 August, accompanying my boss the Mayor of Freetown, I spent the entire day in Sierra Leone’s Parliament as a citizen, following the debate on the government’s proposed amendments to the 1991 multiparty Constitution. It was an important reminder

Freetown, 5 August 2026 – Five Sierra Leonean fishermen were rescued from drowning after their boat sank in rough seas off the Freetown coast on Tuesday, 4 August, thanks to the quick action of a Chinese fishing vessel. The local boat was overwhelmed by heavy rain and rough waves during severe weather. The fishermen, who [...]

The Chinese Embassy in Freetown said Sierra Leone stands to benefit from China’s zero-tariff policy and the upgraded Green Channel 2.0, highlighting the measures as new opportunities to boost exports and strengthen bilateral trade. In a Facebook post published on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, the embassy noted that trade between China and Sierra Leone reached [...] The post China Highlights Zero-Tariff Policy as Sierra Leone Trade Grows in First Half of 2026 appeared first on Sierraloaded.

Five Sierra Leonean fishermen were rescued from a sinking boat off the coast of Freetown on Tuesday, 4 August 2026, after a Chinese fishing vessel responded to their distress signals during severe weather conditions. The vessel, identified as YuanYu708, was conducting routine operations when its captain, Wang Pingchao, noticed signs of distress from a local [...] The post Chinese Vessel Rescues 5 Local Fishermen from Sinking Boat Off Freetown Coast appeared first on Sierraloaded.

Freetown, August 2026 – The Government of Sierra Leone, in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), has officially launched the 2026/27 Feed Salone Home-Grown School Feeding Year, with 1,000 metric tonnes of locally produced rice already procured to feed schoolchildren and boost the domestic agricultural sector. The launch ceremony took place in Kissy, eastern [...]

Miss Freetown has recorded the highest audition turnout in its 20-year history, with 48 young women applying to participate in the 2026 edition of the popular beauty and leadership pageant. Organisers described the figure as the largest documented number of applications received for a pageant audition in Sierra Leone, marking a significant milestone for [...] The post Miss Freetown Unveils Finalists August 7 After Record-Breaking Auditions first appeared on The Calabash Newspaper.

The Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) has announced a series of new measures aimed at reducing traffic congestion and improving road safety at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay in Freetown. In a public notice issued on 31 July 2026, the Authority said the measures form part of the Government of Sierra Leone’s broader [...] The post SLRSA Tightens Traffic Regulations at Queen Elizabeth II Quay first appeared on The Calabash Newspaper.

QCell has officially launched its new 035 mobile number series, introducing a fresh range of phone numbers aimed at expanding customer choice, supporting digital inclusion, and meeting the growing demand for telecommunication services in Sierra Leone. The new series was unveiled during a press conference held on Monday, 3rd August 2026, at QCell’s headquarters on Kingharman Road in Freetown.

Economist and development specialist Professor Dr Ibrahim Bangura on August 4, 2026, called for increased investment in Africa’s youth while delivering the keynote address at the China-Africa Youth Dialogue and Model United Nations Conference held at the Tunde Cole Complex, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. Addressing young delegates, policymakers, and stakeholders, he emphasised [...] The post Dr Ibrahim Bangura Urges Greater Investment in Youth at China-Africa Dialogue in Freetown appeared first on Sierraloaded.

Prof. Dr Ibrahim Bangura, popularly known as DIB and one of the leading flagbearer aspirants of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC), has called for increased investment in Africa’s youth through innovation, quality education, and inclusive economic growth. He made the call on Tuesday, 4 August 2026, while delivering the keynote address at the China-Africa [...] The post APC’s DIB Urges Greater Investment in Youth at China-Africa Dialogue Conference in Freetown appeared first on Sierraloaded.

Sierra Leone and Gabon have committed to strengthening bilateral relations and establishing a more structured partnership following high-level talks between President Dr. Julius Maada Bio and Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema. The discussions, held at State House in Freetown on Monday, 3 August 2026, formed part of President Oligui Nguema’s three-day state visit [...] The post Sierra Leone, Gabon Sign Joint Communiqué to Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation first appeared on The Calabash Newspaper.

Sierra Leone has taken another step toward adopting regional cleaner fuel and vehicle standards after a two-day national workshop concluded in Freetown with commitments to strengthen fuel quality regulations and reduce vehicle emissions. The workshop, organised by the National Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NPRA) in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the ECOWAS [...] The post NPRA Charts Path for Sierra Leone to Adopt ECOWAS Cleaner Fuel Standards appeared first on Sierraloaded.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed an indictment against Francis Lavai, a volunteer attached to the National Medical Supplies Agency (NMSA) warehouse at Fawaz Compound, Ferry Junction, Freetown, over allegations of misappropriating public property.

Air Sierra Leone has announced the resumption of its London-Freetown and London-Banjul flight operations following the successful completion of key regulatory requirements and the receipt of approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Flight operations will officially resume at the end of October 2026, in line with the IATA Winter Season schedule. The first [...] The post Air Sierra Leone Resumes London Flight Operations appeared first on Sierraloaded.

By Hannah Sanusie Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jay of Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 1 has sentenced Sheriff Freeman and Ibrahim Kuyateh after they pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit a felony and larceny. Freeman was sentenced to one year imprisonment, while Kuyateh received a six-month prison term. According to the statement of offence, [...]

By Hassanatu I. Conteh Two accused persons, Maurice Jenner Mohamed Sesay and John Mans, have made their first appearance before Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah of Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 1 in Freetown on two counts of conspiracy to defraud and obtaining property by false pretences. According to the charge sheet, the accused persons are [...]

Freetown, August 4, 2026 — The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, on Tuesday raised a serious alarm over the sharp increase in financial fraud linked mainly to the Orange mobile network and demanded urgent action from the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Technology. Speaker Thomas told the House that scammers appear more [...]

By Hassanatu I. Conteh A plumber, Foday Faragbo, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment by Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah at the Pademba Road Magistrate Court in Freetown after being found guilty at the conclusion of a trial on one count of larceny from a vehicle, contrary to Section 2 of the Larceny Act of [...]

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has indicted Francis Lavai, a volunteer attached to the National Medical Supplies Agency (NMSA) warehouse at Fawaz Compound, Ferry Junction, Freetown. According to the ACC, Lavai has been charged with one count of Misappropriation of Public Property, contrary to Section 36(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 12 of 2008, as amended [...] The post ACC Indicts NMSA Volunteer Over Alleged Misappropriation of US$38,000 Ultrasound Machine appeared first on Sierraloaded.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has indicted Francis Lavai, a volunteer attached to the National Medical Supplies Agency (NMSA) warehouses at Fawaz Compound, Ferry Junction, and Mansaray Step, Devil Hole, both in Freetown, for misappropriation of public property. Lavai faces one count of misappropriation of public property contrary to Section 36(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act No. [...]

Freetown, 4 August 2026 – The Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security has issued a strong public warning after a document purporting to be an official government notice began circulating widely. The fake notice, dated 3 August 2026 and bearing the Ministry’s letterhead and coat of arms, claimed that the governments of Iceland, Latvia, [...]

By Sallieu S, Kanu Freetown, Sierra Leone – July 31, 2026: Sierra Leone has intensified its preparedness for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and other emerging health threats by conducting a [...]

By Sallieu S. Kanu FREETOWN, August 3, 2026: The Government of Sierra Leone has announced new pump prices for petroleum products following a review of the national pricing formula by [...]

The Sierra Leone Police have officially declared local clergyman Rev. Jonathan Peter Marsh wanted following an alleged case of financial fraud involving thousands of United States dollars. According to a notice issued by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters on Pademba Road, Rev. Marsh, a resident of Goderich, Freetown, is being sought for “larceny by [...] The post Reverend Declared Wanted Over Alleged US$16,000 Fraud appeared first on Sierraloaded.

The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has officially relocated its headquarters to a new location in Freetown. In a public notice issued on Tuesday, 4 August 2026, the Agency announced that it has moved from its former office at 64 Sir Samuel Lewis Road, Aberdeen, to its new headquarters at No. 4 Foh Crescent, South [...] The post NDMA Relocates Headquarters to New Office in Freetown appeared first on Sierraloaded.

State House, Freetown – Monday, 3 August 2026- Sierra Leone’s President Dr. Julius Maada Bio on Monday received His Excellency President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema of the Gabonese Republic at State House in Freetown for high-level bilateral talks. The two leaders agreed to deepen cooperation in natural resources, agriculture, maritime security, trade and democratic governance, [...]

Freetown, 3rd August, 2026- The All People’s Congress (APC) has publicly commended its parliamentary leadership and Members of Parliament for what it described as “patriotism, maturity, discipline and principled leadership” during ongoing debates on the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill.

Guma Valley Water Company has announced a temporary shutdown of water supply across Freetown on Tuesday, Aug. 4, to allow emergency repairs on a damaged transmission main. In a public notice issued on Aug. 4, the utility said water service will be suspended from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. as technical teams work to repair [...] The post Guma Valley Announces Emergency Water Shutdown Across Freetown for Burst Main Repairs appeared first on Sierraloaded.

Freetown, 4 August 2026 – The Independent Elections Complaint Board (IECB) of the All People’s Congress (APC) has announced the timetable for hearing petitions arising from the party’s Constituency Executive elections conducted on 25 July 2026. In a notice dated 3 August 2026 and signed by IECB Secretary Osman Soura Kamara Esq., the Board stated [...]

Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio and Gabon’s President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema have agreed to transform their longstanding friendship into a structured strategic partnership, following high‐level talks at State House in Freetown on Monday.

Heavy rains lasting nearly seven hours in the early hours of Monday unleashed devastating flash floods and slope collapses across Freetown, leaving destruction in their wake and prompting an urgent emergency response from the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA).

The National Protected Area Authority (NPAA) has carried out an inspection of flood-prone communities and critical water catchment areas across Freetown following heavy rainfall that caused flooding and environmental damage. The assessment, conducted on Aug. 3, was led by NPAA Executive Director Sheikh Ahmed Tunis, accompanied by Deputy Executive Director Dwight Z.K. Sheriff and other [...] The post NPAA Assesses Flood-Affected Communities and Water Catchment Areas in Freetown Following Heavy Rain appeared first on Sierraloaded.

The Sierra Leone Premier League Board has announced that its 2025-26 Premier League Awards Night will be held on Friday, Aug. 7, at the Bintumani Hotel in Freetown. The announcement was made in a public notice released Monday by the Premier League Board, confirming plans for the annual event honoring outstanding performances and contributions during [...] The post Sierra Leone Premier League Board Sets Date for 2025-26 Awards Night appeared first on Sierraloaded.

Anyone who visits Aberdeen Creek today is met with a painful reality. Mountains of plastic bottles, sachet water bags, food containers, worn-out clothes, and other forms of waste now blanket sections of the shoreline. What should be one of Freetown’s most valuable wetlands is slowly being transformed into a massive dumping ground. The ocean is [...] The post The Agony of Aberdeen Creek: How Much Longer Will We Look Away? appeared first on Sierraloaded.

Freetown, 3 August 2026 — Heavy rainfall lasting six to seven hours in the early hours of Monday triggered widespread flash flooding, severe erosion and slope collapses across several communities in Freetown, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) said in an update. The Agency said low-lying and hillside communities were particularly affected. Field officers were [...]

Freetown – The Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) has announced strict new measures to decongest the Queen Elizabeth II Quay and improve the free movement of people and goods through the Port. In a public notice dated 31st July 2026, the Authority said the steps form part of the Government of Sierra Leone’s ongoing [...]

Three people, including a five-year-old girl, her mother, and her grandmother, have died after a wall collapsed during heavy rains in Freetown on Monday, while two children remain missing following severe flash flooding across the city, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has confirmed. The heavy rainfall, which lasted for approximately six to seven hours [...] The post NDMA Confirms Three Dead, Two Missing And Over 300 Houses Destroyed After Freetown Flood appeared first on Sierraloaded.

Freetown – Petrol and diesel prices have gone up across Sierra Leone with effect from Monday, 3 August 2026, the Ministry of Information and Civic Education has announced. Following a review of the petroleum pricing formula by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), the new pump [...]

Freetown — Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas has ordered two Members of Parliament out of the Chamber for conduct deemed contrary to the rules of parliamentary proceedings during ongoing debates on the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The MPs affected are Hon. Ibrahim Barrie of the opposition All People’s Congress [...]

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone – The Board of Directors of the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) has called an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) for Thursday, 6 August 2026, to deal with the governance crisis that followed the disruption of its Annual General Meeting. The AGM, set for 31 July to 1 August at the Freetown International [...]

Freetown, Sierra Leone – 3 August 2026 – The preliminary investigation into the alleged US$210,000 gold fraud case involving 45-year-old Admire Frances Bio Jalloh and 42-year-old Dauda Jalloh, alias Alhaji Dausy, was on Monday adjourned after the driver attached to the complainants testified and was cross-examined before Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah of Pademba Road Magistrate [...]

Freetown — The leadership of the All People’s Congress (APC) has reaffirmed its full support for the party’s Members of Parliament as the House continues deliberations on the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025. In a statement issued on Monday, 3 August 2026, the APC National Publicity Secretariat said the party’s leadership had gathered [...]

Heavy rainfall that affected Freetown last night has caused flooding in the Mama Wurie Masjid area of Femi Turner, with floodwaters entering a community learning centre and a local masjid. Residents said the flooding damaged learning materials and disrupted activities at the centre where children receive lessons. The water also entered the masjid, affecting its [...] The post Heavy Rainfall Floods Masjid, Learning Centre in Femi Turner Community appeared first on Sierraloaded.

2nd August 2026 — Miss Freetown has recorded its biggest-ever audition turnout, with 48 young women applying for the 2026 edition in what organisers say is not only the highest number in the pageant’s 20-year history but also the largest documented application turnout for a pageant audition in Sierra Leone. The milestone was announced following the [...]

The Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) has announced the immediate closure of the Old Railway Line Bridge at Brookfields, Freetown, effective 1 August 2026, following the discovery of significant structural defects that pose a risk to public safety. According to a Press Release issued by the Authority on 30 July 2026, the decision follows [...] The post Brookfields Old Railway Line Bridge Shut Down as SLRA Cites Serious Structural Damage first appeared on The Calabash Newspaper.

A third group of third-country nationals transferred from the United States under the Third Country National Agreement arrived at Freetown International Airport on Friday, 31 July 2026, bringing the total number of people received by Sierra Leone under the arrangement to 32. The latest contingent comprised 10 nationals from countries within the Economic Community [...] The post US–Sierra Leone Repatriation Agreement: Total Arrivals Rise to 32 first appeared on The Calabash Newspaper.

Freetown, 3rd August, 2026 The Board of Directors of the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) has announced the convening of an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to address the governance crisis following the disruption of the Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM).

By Sallieu S. Kanu Freetown, Sierra Leone – The United States Embassy has welcomed six new Peace Corps trainees to Sierra Leone, marking another chapter in the long-standing partnership between [...]

By: Guma Valley Water Company Communications Unit Freetown, Sierra Leone – July 28, 2026 – The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Dr. Hannah Isatta Sao‐Kpato Macarthy, has hailed Guma [...]

By Fatima Kpaka Freetown, Sierra Leone – First Lady Fatima Maada Bio has called for a united continental movement to empower women and girls, as she officially launched the #BuildingResilience [...]