Saudi Arabia and Israel's shared security worries should not ignore the Dutch drug lord in Sierra Leone

Recently, Reichman University in Herzliya, Israel, published a case study of Hezbollah by Dr. Eitan Azani, who is also in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and has operational, research, and academic experience in counter-terrorism in regional and international arenas.

The ICT study at Reichman University dissects Hezbollah as a calculated “hybrid terrorist organization”—one that fuses political ambitions, social entrenchment, and military muscle.

It scrutinizes its tactical evolution, financial engines, and its trademark strategy of skirting legal and ethical lines.

Researchers drill into banking webs, global tentacles, and weapons of psychological manipulation, sourcing even The Calabash newspaper reports.

On Saturday, I asked Amin Kef Sesay, managing editor of The Calabash Newspaper, a question on X (formerly Twitter).

I asked why the Reichman University report had focused solely on the family of Hussein Fawaz—a Lebanese man in Sierra Leone shot in a bar fight with Jos Leijdekkers, a convicted drug baron on the run—rather than featuring other relevant aspects.

The study detailed the Fawaz family’s history of backing Hezbollah with dollars. However, from my brief review of The Calabash headlines, I noticed they omitted any mention of the international controversy over Jos Leijdekkers’ presence in Sierra Leone, reportedly at the behest of President Julius Maada Bio.

 Instead, The Calabash zeroes in on the Fawaz family—landlords to Leijdekkers—skirting Leijdekkers himself entirely.

I pressed further: Why shouldn’t the IDF confront Amin Kef for running cover on Jos Leijdekkers—the Netherlands’ most wanted, protected by Sierra Leone’s elite?

On X, I posted The Gleaner’s front page highlighting Dutch diplomatic fury over extradition, Leijdekkers’ rumored ties to the president’s family, and his alleged payoff to military leaders and police.

Amin Kef fired back, demanding that 9River Media keep his name out of what he called “foolishness, stupidity, and outright buffoonery.”

He claimed his team practiced “journalism with ethics, facts, balance, and responsibility”—in stark contrast, he said, to the “reckless ignorance and senseless behavior” that 9River Media continues to display.

He doubled down: our “platform thrives on noise, confusion, and baseless attacks.” Theirs, he insisted, “stands on credibility, evidence, and professional standards.”

With pointed irony, Amin Kef challenged critics to “confront [their] editorial judgment with facts—not childish tantrums, propaganda, and empty accusations.”

More pointedly, Amin Kef closed his tirade with a threat: " I shouldn't mistake professionalism for weakness.”

It’s a line straight from President Bio’s inner circle, often invoked to intimidate and silence opposition.

Amin Kef’s reply was laced with implied threats—leveled not only at me, but at Reichman University, the Prime Minister of Israel, the Netherlands’ Minister-President, Sierra Leone’s leading magazine, Gleaner Newspaper Sierra Leone, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Sierra Leone’s Attorney General & Minister of Justice, and even the U.S. Department of State.

I also asked what Amin Kef was doing on a journalist jaunt to India.

The subcontinent’s embassy in Sierra Leone should remember that the BBC noted ~640M people voted in India's election, and it was hailed as a "world record" by election authorities.

In 2023, election observers, including The Carter Center and the European Union mission in Sierra Leone, raised serious concerns about a lack of transparency in the vote-counting process.

In other news, the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) is reportedly active in Sierra Leone, financing solar-powered boreholes and projects, including a planned 250-bed hospital.

The SFD is said to be managing projects valued at approximately $32 million, including the Kenema-Pendembu road reconstruction, Western Area power generation, and the rehabilitation of 100-year-old buildings at Fourah Bay College.

Saudi Arabia is also financing a $50 million, 150-bed hospital, designed to provide comprehensive services including surgery and pediatrics.

Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio was recently invited to speak at the Saudi's Future Investment Initiative (FII) event in Florida to highlight opportunities in agro-processing, renewable energy, and digital infrastructure. 

While the Public Investment Fund (PIF) manages $925 billion for Saudi Arabia’s internal and global commercial projects, the SFD serves as the primary agency for developmental loans in Sierra Leone.

These investments highlight a commitment to aiding infrastructure and social services in Sierra Leone while exploring potential, broader economic partnerships.

In July 2025, the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Saudi Arabia shared that Mohammed Barrie, Sierra Leone's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, paid a courtesy visit to Dr. Sultan Al-Marsha, CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD).

During the meeting, Al-Marshad welcomed Barrie and his team, highlighting the bilateral ties between SFD and Sierra Leone, which span over four decades.

Barrie conveyed greetings from the Government of Sierra Leone to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, and the Crown Prince, Mohamed bin Salman.

The ambassador emphasized Sierra Leone's openness to business and investment, presenting a symbolic map of the country highlighting its rich mineral resources, including the recent discovery of 30 billion barrels of crude oil, valued at approximately $2.1 trillion.

He suggested that Saudi Arabia, as a global leader in crude oil production, could collaborate with Sierra Leone to harness this new discovery.

The SFD is currently implementing various projects worth 405 million Saudi Riyals in Sierra Leone, focusing on education, health, transport, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and water and sanitation.

 The meeting concluded with a mutual understanding to further explore opportunities for cooperation and investment between Saudi Arabia and Sierra Leone, potentially leading to enhanced economic ties between the two nations.