Sierra Leone Monitor

FREETOWN, 2nd November 2026 – A young Sierra Leonean man identified as Sorie, reportedly from Calaba Town in the east end of Freetown, has reportedly lost his life while serving in the Russian military on the frontlines of the war in Ukraine. The heartbreaking report emerged over the weekend on social media, with photos showing [...]

FREETOWN, 2nd November 2026 – A 78-year-old Sierra Leonean candidate, Pa Lamin Turay, who sat the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), is among thousands of candidates whose results have been withheld by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), sparking nationwide conversation about lifelong learning and examination integrity. Pa Turay, whose educational journey [...]

MAKENI, 31st October 2026 – The Senate of the University of Makeni (UNIMAK) has resolved to grant provisional admission to applicants who sat the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) but did not obtain a credit pass in English Language. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of Senate held on Thursday [...]

Freetown – Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, on [date of launch] formally launched Red Poppy Week 2026, calling on citizens to honour the country’s fallen soldiers and security personnel who sacrificed their lives in the service of peace, national security and global stability. The ceremony, held ahead of [...]

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Hon. Julius Daniel Mattai, has called on Russia to expand cooperation in geological exploration, mineral processing and skills development, as the country seeks to maximise the benefits of its mineral resources. Addressing the Russia–Africa Summit in Moscow on 28 October 2026, Minister Mattai stressed that mineral wealth [...]

A 23-year-old Sierra Leonean man is facing serious charges in the United States after allegedly kidnapping and stabbing a 15-year-old girl in Baltimore, Maryland. Abubakarr Barrie was arrested by Baltimore Police and charged with attempted first-degree murder, kidnapping and related offences following the incident on 22 October. According to police and charging documents, the teenager [...]

Hastings, 30 October 2026 — The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr William Fayia Sellu, has urged recruits at the Sierra Leone Peacekeeping and Law Enforcement Academy (SILEA), Campus I, Hastings, to uphold discipline, professionalism and respect for authority throughout their careers. Addressing the recruits on Friday, 30 October, the IGP said these values were [...]

FREETOWN, 30th October 2026 – The Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring decent work and protecting workers’ rights after an inspection of the 108.4-megawatt NANT Power Project at Kissy Dockyard in Freetown. The delegation was led by the Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Umaru Napoleon [...]

FREETOWN – The Sierra Leone Premier League Board (PLB) has announced the immediate introduction of cooling breaks in all Premier League matches to protect players from extreme heat. In a Public Notice dated Thursday 29th October 2026 and signed by the PLB Secretariat at 21 Battery Street, Kingtom, Freetown, the Board said cooling breaks will [...]

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – Sierra Leone’s U-15 national team, the Young Leone Stars, have been crowned Tier D Champions (9th–16th classification) at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival in Azerbaijan after an impressive 2-1 victory over Oman in the final on Friday morning. The victory means Sierra Leone finish 9th overall among 32 elite [...]

FREETOWN – The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, has warned all Members of Parliament to urgently declare their income, assets and liabilities to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) or face administrative sanctions. Addressing MPs in the well of Parliament yesterday, Speaker Thomas said the ACC has written to Parliament and the letter has [...]

The Second Report of the Committee on Appointments and the Public Service, chaired by the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew Sahr Nyuma, has on Thursday, 29th October 2026, unanimously been approved by Parliament. Sixteen presidential nominees were approved for the development of Sierra Leone. The following presidential nominees were approved by [...]

FREETOWN, 29th October 2026 – For millions of Sierra Leoneans, life has become a double punishment: scorching heat by day, total blackout by night. As temperatures soar across Freetown and the provinces, families are spending nights fanning themselves in the dark, unable to sleep, unable to preserve food, unable to charge phones, as persistent power [...]

FREETOWN – Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has intervened in the stalled BADEA-supported infrastructure project at the historic Prince of Wales (POW) School, Kingtom, calling on the contractor, project managers and the Old Princewaleans Association (OPWA) to work together to get the project over the line. The Vice President made the call during an [...]

FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE, 28 October 2026: The National Communications Authority (NatCA) has unveiled a suite of state-of-the-art telecommunications regulatory equipment at its headquarters, NatCA Tower, South Ridge/IMATT, marking a significant milestone in the Authority’s efforts to strengthen regulatory oversight, enhance consumer protection and support Sierra Leone’s digital transformation agenda. The unveiling brought together the Hon. [...]

FREETOWN, 29th October 2026 – Former Vice President Chief Samuel Sam-Sumana has finally opened up on the real reason behind his fallout with his former boss, ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma, that led to his expulsion from the All People’s Congress (APC) and his controversial sacking as Vice President of Sierra Leone. Speaking on AYV’s State [...]

FREETOWN, 29th October 2026 – Sierra Leone’s U-15 national team, the Young Leone Stars, have booked a place in the Tier-D Semi-Finals at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, after an impressive 3-1 victory over Aruba on Wednesday. The win is a strong response after the team suffered a narrow [...]

FREETOWN, 29th October 2026 – Sierra Leone has been listed among the Top 10 African countries with the highest fuel prices for October 2026, a new report by Business Insider Africa has revealed. The report, which cites data from http://GlobalPetrolPrices.com as of 19th October 2026, ranks petrol prices across the continent and shows Sierra Leone [...]

FREETOWN, 28th October 2026 – The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, has expressed deep concern over the withholding of results for 47,454 candidates in the 2026 WASSCE for School Candidates, warning that the delay could shatter the university dreams of thousands of young Sierra Leoneans. In a statement issued on Monday [...]

FREETOWN, 28th October 2026 – The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) has expressed serious concern over allegations made by the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Moses Sellu Mambu, against AYV journalist Victor Jones. In a press release issued on Tuesday, 28th October 2026, SLAJ said Mr. Mambu publicly [...]

Accra, Ghana, Wednesday, 28 October 2026 – Sierra Leone’s President Dr Julius Maada Bio has called for a fundamental shift in Africa’s development approach, urging African nations to strengthen their capacity to produce, innovate, compete and negotiate with the rest of the world from a position of economic strength, rather than remain dependent on exporting [...]

Justice Adrian Fischer has issued a stern warning against individuals allegedly involved in disrupting the internal electoral processes of the All Peoples Congress Party (APC), urging party leaders, including Osman Foday Yansanneh and Sidi Yaya Tunis, to caution members and supporters against acts capable of undermining the credibility and peaceful conduct of the party’s [...]

KENEMA – What started as a chieftaincy-related dispute in Pendembu has now landed 62 people behind bars, after they were remanded by the Kenema Magistrate’s Court for their alleged role in disturbances targeting the Paramount Chief. The accused persons appeared before Magistrate Hadiru Daboh of Court No. 1 in Kenema on two separate dates, in [...]

FREETOWN, 28th October 2026 – The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), Conrad Sackey, has explained the process for candidates who are dissatisfied with their grades following the release of the 2026 WASSCE results. In a post on his official Facebook page on Monday, Minister Sackey wrote: “Dissatisfied with Your Grades? Here’s How [...]

FREETOWN, 27th October 2026– The Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Umaru Napoleon Koroma, on Monday engaged representatives of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress, the Sierra Leone Employers’ Federation, the Ministry and the service provider to chart the way forward on the implementation of *Section 25 of the Employment Act 2023* which provides for [...]

FREETOWN, 27th October 2026 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has donated 480 PCR test kits and about 500 extraction materials to the National Public Health Agency (NPHA) to strengthen Sierra Leone’s preparedness against Ebola and Marburg virus diseases. The materials were presented in Freetown by WHO Country Representative Dr. George Ameh to NPHA Executive [...]

FREETOWN, 27th October 2026 – Sierra Leone’s security forces have smashed a suspected international cybercrime network operating in Freetown and Kenema, arresting 18 people and detaining approximately 400 others in coordinated intelligence-led raids. The operations were carried out by the security sector working jointly with the National Telecommunications Authority (NaTCA), according to a press release [...]

BAKU, 27th October 2026 – FIFA President Gianni Infantino has paid a special courtesy visit to Sierra Leone’s U-15 national team at the ongoing FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan. Infantino met the Young Leone Stars at Pitch 9B, where the historic festival is being held, and encouraged the boys to enjoy [...]

FREETOWN, 27th October 2026 – The celebration that greeted the release of the 2026 WASSCE results on Tuesday has turned to heartbreak for 368 candidates who remain stranded without results, after their schools failed to pay examination fees to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) confirmed [...]

FREETOWN, 27th October 2026 – Students across Sierra Leone’s public universities have made a passionate appeal to the Government of Sierra Leone and the Union of Academic Staff Associations (UASA) to resolve their ongoing dispute and end the industrial strike that has crippled academic work. The appeal was made by the National Union of Sierra [...]

FREETOWN, 27th October 2026 – First Lady Fatima Maada Bio has joined hundreds of Sierra Leoneans to congratulate Martina Baindu Egbenda on her election as the new President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA), describing it as a victory for ambitious women and for strong institutions. Egbenda, who currently serves as Sierra Leone’s Administrator [...]

FREETOWN, 27th October 2026 – Alfred Farwell Thorpe, a final year pupil of the prestigious Sierra Leone Grammar School, Murray Town, has been officially named the Best Performing Candidate in the 2026 WASSCE in Sierra Leone. The announcement was made on Tuesday 27th October by the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Hon. Conrad Sackey, [...]

FREETOWN, 27th October 2026 – Nearly one in every four candidates who sat the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will have to wait longer for their fate, as the Government confirms 47,454 results have been withheld over suspected examination malpractice. Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), Hon. Conrad Sackey, announced [...]

FREETOWN, 27th October 2026 – The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) has officially released the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, with 64.3% of candidates obtaining at least five credits. Minister Conrad Sackey announced the results on Tuesday 27th October 2026 live on SLBC TV, after WAEC submitted the [...]

Lungi – The Sierra Leone Police (SLP), Lungi Division, has embarked on a school sensitisation programme aimed at educating pupils on the dangers of domestic violence, sexual offences and early marriage. The sensitisation exercise was conducted on Monday, 26 October 2026, at Afro International World Bridges Junior and Senior Secondary School in Kasongha, Lungi. During [...]

FREETOWN, 27th October 2026 – Sierra Leone has signed the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents, known as the Accra Convention, in a move the Government says will boost trade and open new business financing opportunities. Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, signed the Convention on behalf of Sierra Leone [...]

FREETOWN, 27th October 2026 – The Sierra Leone Public Transport Authority (SLPTA) says it is probing the alleged assault of one of its Waka Fine drivers by two military officers, following the circulation of a viral video on social media. In a press release dated 26th September 2026 and signed by SLPTA Management, the Authority [...]

FREETOWN, Monday 27th October 2026 – Administrator and Registrar General, Martina Baindu Egbena Esq., has been elected as the new President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA), marking a historic turn in the leadership of the country’s premier legal body. Mrs. Egbena was elected on Monday during the SLBA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) and [...]

FREETOWN, Monday 27th October 2026 – The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad Sackey, has announced that the 2026 West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results will be officially released on Tuesday 27th October at 12PM live on SLBC Television. The Minister made the announcement in a short video message posted on [...]

FREETOWN, 27th October 2026 – Peace Ambassador Abubakarr S. Turay, popularly known as Shady Baby, has pleaded with President Julius Maada Bio to use his prerogative of mercy to release detained entertainer and political activist Zainab Sheriff from the Correctional Centre on health grounds. Zainab Sheriff was sentenced to four years and two months imprisonment [...]

FREETOWN, Monday 27th October 2026 – President Julius Maada Bio has once again declared that he will not contest the 2028 presidential election, saying his priority now is to leave behind strong institutions that serve all Sierra Leoneans fairly and safeguard the country’s peace. The President made the declaration on Monday at the Freetown International [...]

FREETOWN, Monday 27th October 2026 – Former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma has pledged to support President Julius Maada Bio by sharing his experience to help strengthen leadership, national unity and Sierra Leone’s continued development. Koroma made the pledge on Monday at the Freetown International Conference Centre, Bintumani, during the National Unity and Social Cohesion [...]

FREETOWN, 26th October 2026 – The Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security has finally broken its silence on the temporary closure of Marampa Mines Limited (MML), assuring workers that their rights and legal entitlements will not be abandoned. In a Public Notice dated 26th October 2026 and issued from New England Ville in Freetown, [...]

FREETOWN, Monday 26 October 2026 – Former President Ernest Bai Koroma has arrived at the Freetown International Conference Centre, Bintumani, to participate in the National Unity and Social Cohesion Conference. The former President, who is also Chairman and Leader of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC), was received at the entrance and escorted into [...]

FREETOWN, Monday 26 October 2026 – President Julius Maada Bio is expected to deliver the keynote address at the National Unity and Social Cohesion Conference which opens today at the Bintumani Conference Centre in Aberdeen, Freetown. The two-day conference is organised by the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC) under the theme: “From [...]

FREETOWN, 24 October 2026 – Sierra Leone has been ranked 109th out of 143 countries in the 2026 World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index, released globally on 21 October 2026. According to the report, Sierra Leone ranks 17th out of 34 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and 16th out of 16 – last – [...]

FREETOWN – The Union of Academic Staff Associations (UASA) has said the nationwide lecturers’ strike remains in full force, insisting that government has made no offer on its demand for a 100% salary increase. In a press release issued on 24th October 2026, UASA gave an update on a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Ministry [...]

FREETOWN, Sunday, 25th October 2026 – The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has strongly condemned the reported racist abuse and death threats directed at Sierra Leone international defender Juma Bah. In a press release issued today, 25th October 2026, signed by Head of Media and Marketing Ibrahim Kamara, the Association said it is deeply concerned [...]

FREETOWN – Tragedy struck at Sarola Junction along Old Road, east of Freetown, on Friday after a man reportedly died from electrocution. According to preliminary reports, the incident occurred at around 12 noon today when the man was on top of a zinc-roofed building and came into contact with a live electricity cable. Eyewitnesses said [...]

FREETOWN, 24 October 2026 – German Bundesliga club FC Augsburg has strongly condemned racist abuse and death threats directed at Sierra Leone international defender Juma Bah on Instagram. In a statement posted on Friday titled “NO ROOM FOR RACISM!”, the club said Bah was subjected to “utterly vile racist abuse and death threats” and that [...]