Sewa News Stream

In industrially advanced countries, former presidents attending conferences is a common occurrence, and their experience and expertise are typically valued in international and regional events. By contrast, in Sierra Leone, President Julius Maada Bio has persistently sidelined his direct predecessor, Ernest Bai Koroma (pictured in an undated photo from the swearing-in ceremony for his second term), along with other former leaders who came to power through constitutional processes. Recently, members of Bio's administration, some of whom have previously expressed extreme views regarding opposition supporters and parties, have advocated for the return of Ernest Bai Koroma by supporting the dismissal of charges that labeled him an enemy of the state. These charges also placed his former appointees and family members at risk. Koroma held the last free and fair elections in 2018, which ushered in Julius Maada Bio as president.  Against this political backdrop, the contested 2023 presiden...

  In a rare social media address, Samura Kamara, Ph.D., presidential candidate in Sierra Leone's 2023 elections, delivered a direct message to his supporters almost a week after his 75th birthday.  Kamara, veteran economist and former foreign minister, finance minister, and Bank of Sierra Leone governor, staked his legacy on this milestone moment.  Kamara expressed gratitude for the outpouring of love, warmth, and goodwill from his many supporters. He thanked his well-wishers for their kind messages, calls, prayers, and moments of laughter shared, which have reminded him of what matters.  Reflecting on these bonds, he noted the unity among Sierra Leoneans and their shared hope for a better future.  Contested results from the election indicate Kamara won 1,148,262 votes compared to 1,566,932 for Julius Maada Bio. Following these results, Kamara's party, the All People's Congress, demanded a re-run, citing glaring irregularities.  On May 7, 2026, Kamara poste...

During the same week, Zainab Sheriff was jailed for incitement on the orders of President Maada Bio, and his wife, Fatima, Kadiru Kaikai, an associate of the president, made violent election-related statements without apparent consequence. In a mobile phone video , Kaikai, affiliated with Spire USA Inc., stated in Krio that he would wage war in Sierra Leone if not made president in 2028. He estimated the conflict would cost $3.3 million and claimed to have budgeted for it, with plans to begin in Masiaka, a centrally located city. Meanwhile, representatives from the ECOWAS Commission, the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, and the Commonwealth concluded a joint mission to Sierra Leone. They presented recommendations, including the urgent establishment of a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, as outlined in Recommendation 20 of the Tripartite Report, to review the electoral cycle, assess electoral preparedness, and guide legislative reforms ahead of t...

The silence from both media and watchdogs on the photograph of the president of Sierra Leone in church with drug lord Jos Leijdekkers, shared by the first lady, underscores a systemic lack of public accountability. Only two reporters, who fled for their safety, have addressed the issue.  Other than that, there's been no outrage from watchdogs or media outlets, no condemnation for hosting a convict wanted by the Netherlands, and no questioning of military and police chiefs who are allegedly receiving protection money from Leijdekkers or the president's daughter, who was received in the United States to have Leijdekkers' baby in New York.  As Sierra Leone's media pretend to look the other way, they devote time to outrage over a Freetown city council executive who refuses to call himself the deputy mayor amid the opposition boycott.  Meanwhile, Augustine Navo, a founding member of Foh Di Pupil Newspaper and a media developer, analyst, and legal practitioner based in Londo...

The  United States Army ROTC has posted a YouTube video  featuring Old Dominion University ROTC cadets who stopped a terrorist after he killed an ROTC professor of military science and injured two cadets. In the 17-minute video, the cadets share their experiences from inside the classroom for the first time. Cadet Louis Ancheta, who received the Purple Heart and Meritorious Service Medal, is a student at Old Dominion University and also serves in the U.S. Army Reserve. Cadet Wesley Myers, who also received a Meritorious Service Medal, explained that he was preparing to give a presentation that day and wanted to make sure everything was ready. Ancheta remembered Colonel Shaw’s advice that media issues are one of the biggest presentation problems. Despite feeling nervous, the class went smoothly, and Colonel Shaw was about to dismiss everyone. Cadet Oshea Bego, a military science IV student, said it was probably the only day the whole class stayed because of the presentations. C...

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 ...

"What can I give Him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; If I were a wise man, I would do my part; Yet what can I give Him: Give my heart," comes from the famous Christmas carol, "In the Bleak Midwinter," a poem by Christina Rossetti. It expresses the idea that the most valuable gift a person, regardless of their wealth or status, can offer is their devotion, love, and heart, which may not count for much in modern geopolitics.  In 2024, Samura Kamara, a popular presidential candidate in Sierra Leone's June 2023 elections, shared a somber post on social media. His message is even more poignant in light of recent events. Read on The triumph of democracy in Sierra Leone is crucial: can we draw parallels with international reactions to the aftermath of the Venezuelan presidential elections? In examining the outcomes of the recent Venezuelan presidential election and the June 24, 2023, Sierra Leone presidential election, several notable paralle...

  In 2021, numerous reports stated that a by-election in Koinadugu, the largest district in Sierra Leone and one of the least densely populated, had been taken over by Lahai Lawrence Leema, then deputy minister of internal affairs and a retired military officer of the Republic of Sierra Leone. " It has become too much the case that thugs overrun our polling stations during bye-elections with the police throwing their hands in the air as if it is not their job to keep the peace ," wrote Vickie Remoe, a media producer. A leading voice opposing violence and intimidation, Remoe praised the Sierra Leonean observers of National Election Watch (NEW) for their commitment to transparency at polling stations. The following week, on Africa Young Voices (AYV) television, Leema attacked Marcella Samba Sesay while on-air with AYV's Samuel Wise Bangura. Before being evacuated from Sierra Leone for her safety after the June 2023 elections, Sesay served as the executive director of the Ca...

 An X post reports on an AD newspaper article detailing a tense exchange at a summit, where the Netherlands' Prime Minister Dick Schoof urged Maada Bio to extradite Jos "Bolle Jos" Leijdekkers, a fugitive convicted of smuggling over 1,000 kg of cocaine valued at €50 million. Leijdekkers, a 33-year-old Dutch national wanted since 2023, evaded capture by relocating to Sierra Leone, marrying Bio's daughter Agnes in early 2024, and integrating into the president's inner circle, as evidenced by photos of him at official events alongside family members. This family connection has complicated bilateral ties, with Dutch officials viewing it as state-sponsored protection for a major European drug trafficker, potentially affecting Sierra Leone's international aid and cooperation amid ongoing scrutiny of Bio's administration. Prime Minister Dick Schoof has urgently requested the President of Sierra Leone to extradite cocaine dealer "Bolle Jos" Leijdekkers....

Last week, several newspapers reported that a district court in the Netherlands had ordered convicted drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers to pay over 96 million euros to the Dutch state. This ruling followed a confiscation procedure that initially sought a record 221 million euros in criminal assets. Prosecutors believe that Leijdekkers, a central figure in international cocaine smuggling, is receiving high-level protection in Sierra Leone. This week, the Gleaner newspaper reported that Abu Bakarr Naorie, also known as Buba NaOrie, has been identified as the mastermind behind a suspicious boat believed to be involved in cocaine transportation in Freetown. Naorie is the owner of a fishing company and is currently under scrutiny due to the recent discovery of a vessel suspected of transporting illegal substances. The fishing company has been accused of using its fishing harbor and cold storage facilities as fronts for drug smuggling operations. According to allegations, Naorie oversaw these ...

Jason Kindrachuk, PhD, an associate professor and Canada Research Chair at the University of Manitoba, has been discussing emerging viruses and Ebola on social media. This weekend, he shared his insights with over 20,000 followers regarding the Mpox outbreak in Sierra Leone, emphasizing the urgent need for vaccines as the situation worsens. Mpox is a dreadful and preventable disease, and the call for vaccines is critical as cases continue to rise.  Deutsche Welle Africa has reported that Sierra Leone has confirmed 3,011 Mpox cases and 14 deaths since the beginning of 2025, reflecting a 50% increase in just 10 days. The outbreak now spans all regions of the country. In response, authorities have converted a police training center in Freetown into a 400-bed treatment facility. Mpox, a viral disease related to smallpox, has been spreading increasingly in Africa since 2022, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a global health emergency in 2024. Other African countrie...

Physicians from Médecins sans Frontières (MSF or Doctors Without Borders) have recently reported that Sierra Leone is experiencing an outbreak of monkeypox, or MPox, with an average of 120 new cases recorded daily since April 25, 2025.  MSF has rehabilitated an infectious isolation ward in the nation's capital to support the response to the outbreak. They have also donated infection prevention and control materials and installed a chlorine production unit. Furthermore, MSF donated a pickup truck and four motorbikes to the district health management team in Kenema District , located in eastern Sierra Leone, to enhance surveillance and contact tracing for MPox and Lassa Fever. With a population of 8.3 million, Sierra Leone's health system had already been struggling, as highlighted by the Ebola virus epidemic.  A 2022 study revealed that all vaccine doses came from abroad.  On April 23, 2025, Saidu Bah reported that Sierra Leone became the 14th member state of the African ...

Can Rapaport's vision of "Tikkun Olam" truly stand up against China's Belt and Road Initiative or the influence of a Dutch drug lord in Sierra Leone?  In 2017, artisanal miners from a small hamlet discovered a 709-carat diamond, later dubbed the Sierra Leone Peace Diamond. This village and the surrounding area lacked clean water, electricity, schools, health facilities, roads, or bridges. The Rapaport Group announced that for the first time, millions of dollars from the sale of the Peace Diamond will go toward providing vital infrastructure and improving the lives of some of the poorest people in the world. On March 12, 2025, the Rapaport Group announced its sixth trade mission to Sierra Leone . Serving more than 20,000 clients in over 121 countries, the Rapaport Group will lead an international delegation of diamond dealers, jewelers, and industry leaders on an immersive journey from May 4 to May 9, 2025. This trip aims to provide firsthand exposure to artisanal dia...

Jos Leijdekkers, a.k.a. Boll Jos, remains in the headlines of Sierra Leone's newspapers despite the president's denial that he knows the wanted Dutch criminal Bolle Jos, reportedly his daughter's boyfriend or husband.  Recently, videos surfaced showing Bolle Jos celebrating with high-ranking officials in Sierra Leone, prompting the government to announce that it has launched a search for the Dutch fugitive.  Meanwhile, a Dutch journalist covering the Bolle Jos case was detained in Sierra Leone. Shaken by her experience, journalist Sophie Van Leeuw left Sierra Leone and shared her observations about the oppressive methods used by the Maada Bio administration to silence dissent and restrict press freedom.  This week, further reports emerged revealing that the Sierra Leone government is bribing and threatening local journalists to prevent them from reporting on the wanted Dutch drug trafficker, Jos Leijdekkers. According to De Telegraaf, several reporters in hiding have disc...

In January 2013, Tablet , an online magazine focused on Jewish news and culture, featured Sierra Leone's parliament, which was built with Israeli assistance. The article, with the headline "The Al-Aqsa of Africa," paid homage to the building, symbolizing the long-standing relationship between Israel and the African continent. Since Sierra Leone's Siaka Stevens severed diplomatic relations with Israel following the Yom Kippur War, Israel and Sierra Leone have gradually rebuilt their diplomatic ties, which date back to the 1960s. Over the years, 657 Sierra Leoneans have benefited from various programs in agriculture, women's empowerment, education, health, community sustainability, and renewable energy, among others. In 2017, this relationship deepened with the visit of then-president Ernest Bai Koroma, marking the first-ever visit of a Sierra Leonean president to Israel. During the Ebola virus epidemic, Israel was also the first country to deliver humanitarian aid ...

Thursday's newspapers from Sierra Leone report that Maada Bio's daughter is the hidden force behind the wall of steel protecting Jos Liejdekkers, a Dutch fugitive described as a drug baron who is wreaking havoc on the country. According to Kamarainba Mansaray, who reportedly met with Dutch journalists, Liejdekkers allegedly used bribery to entice government officials, ensuring his security even after the Dutch government requested that Sierra Leone extradite him. The newspaper confirms that there is no extradition treaty between the two countries. Mansaray also asserted that Liejdekkers has significant financial interests in both Sierra Leone and the United States.

  A vehicle traveling from Sierra Leone to Monrovia through Lofa County was intercepted this week by the Joint Security of Foya District, led by the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA). Acting on a tip-off, the LDEA-led team stopped the vehicle and escorted it to the Foya Police Station for a detailed inspection. The street value of the significant drug shipment is estimated at $77,200. According to FrontPage Africa , on the night of March 17 at around 10:45 PM, the Joint Security team received information about a black pickup truck with a Liberian license plate transporting narcotics. Upon interception, the driver initially claimed to be transporting clothes and slippers for sale. However, a thorough search revealed 772 plates of high-grade marijuana, valued at approximately $77,200 (14,668,000 Liberian dollars), as well as eight boxes of Tramadol worth an additional 160,000 Liberian dollars. The driver was immediately arrested and is currently under investigation. He is expect...

On March 6, Dutch Minister of Justice David van Weel announced on X (formerly known as Twitter) that he had a conversation with his colleague, Alpha Sesay, Sierra Leone's Attorney General and Minister of Justice. A significant topic of discussion was the Dutch extradition request for Jos Leijdekkers , who is wanted for serious crimes. Van Weel noted strong indications that Leijdekkers is currently in Sierra Leone. He emphasized that discussions like these are vital for combating transnational organized crime. Thomas Dixon , a Sierra Leonean journalist, reported that Maada Bio has relieved Alusine Kanneh of his position as head of the immigration service after a video surfaced showing Kanneh partying with Leijdekkers, who is known as Omar Sherriff in Sierra Leone. A bulletin from Emmanuel Gaima, secretary to the president in Sierra Leone, announced that Moses Tiffa Baio has been appointed as the new Chief Immigration Officer, effective March 7. An article on FTM published on March 7...

  Last week, Thomas Dixon, a journalist from Sierra Leone with  17,500 followers on X (formerly known as Twitter), reported that the police in Sierra Leone confiscated a secure digital (SD) card from Dutch journalist Sophie van Leeuwen after deleting everything on her personal computer and mobile phone. Unnamed sources familiar with the police's actions claimed that the SD card was held for security reasons. Dixon stated that human rights activists demanded the return of the SD card and a public apology for the journalist's harassment.  In a post  on X (formerly known as Twitter), Sophie shared a photo of herself looking distraught, peering out of a ferry window as it made its way across the lagoon. " My work has been destroyed, and my colleague Joseph Turay fears for his life, " she wrote, adding that there was no press freedom in Sierra Leone. On Facebook, Sophie is listed as a freelance journalist and RTL Nieuws's African correspondent, with ties to BNR Nieu...