The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is facilitating the repatriation of 75 stranded Sierra Leonean migrants (including 74 Male and 1 Female) from Niger to Sierra Leone following further consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and other partners in Sierra Leone.

According to the Liaison officer of the Republic of Sierra Leone in Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt, Abubakarr Koroma, the 75 returnee migrants have been screened by the Sierra Leone Embassy staff and IOM and have been certified to be Sierra Leoneans.

According to IOM officials in Sierra Leone, the returnee migrants will arrive on Tuesday, 5 June 2018 at the Freetown International Airport in Lungi where they will be welcomed and received by the relevant stakeholders.

The Public Relations unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, together with officials from IOM, social service providers, the security sector led by ONS and other international partners will be at the airport and the reception centre in Freetown to receive and screen the 75 returnees.

It could be recalled that since November 2017 the IOM has facilitated the repatriation of over 300 Sierra Leonean stranded migrants from Libya and Niger.

 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Alie Kabba says that one key area he intends to focus on in putting his Ministry ahead is to establish a Foreign Service Academy that will enhance professionalism in the Foreign Service.

The object of this Academy Dr. Kabba stated is to: TRAIN the Officers to enhance and upgrade knowledge and skills in Diplomacy and Foreign Policy issues; GROOM the Officers with confidence and practical knowledge to become efficient and effective diplomats, and DEVELOP professionalism and excellence in the Ministry.

Dr. Alie Kabba made this disclosure today during his first official meeting with senior administrative and technical management staff and other support staff in the Ministry’s Conference Hall, Tower Hill, Freetown.

The newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Alie Kabba expressed thanks and appreciation to the management and staff of the Ministry for the warm reception accorded him. Dr. Kabba extended fraternal greetings from His Excellency Julius Maada Bio to the Staff of the Foreign Ministry, noting that His Excellency has expressed deep interest in the way the officials of the Ministry articulate the Government’s foreign policy in conformity with the country’s overall New Direction. A New Direction the Foreign Minister maintained, that has captivated the interest of many people not just in country but globally. The New Direction, he said, should be achieved through a disciplined and utmost professional approach and delivery as its main focus. ‘We are custodians of our national aspiration and we must accordingly act in a way that is consistent with the expectations of all of our people’, he added.

The Foreign Minister stressed that ‘Foreign Affairs is everyone’s affairs’, noting that this Ministry serves as a hub and gateway through which other Government MDA’s are able to deliver on the

objects of the New Direction. He therefore called on staff of the Ministry to work towards the accomplishment of key deliverables in the New Direction through resource mobilization, collaboration, re-alignment of priorities and coordination. The New Direction, he further explained, seeks to identify thematic areas to shape government policies in scaling up of engagement with development partners. He emphasised that staff should integrate technological innovations to their work and enhance image cultivation which are part of the national development blueprint of the New Direction. Dr. Alie Kabba underscored that time management is crucial in order to successfully execute of the Ministry’s mandate.

In his welcome address, the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr. Paul Minah on behalf of the Ministry, congratulated the Minister for his appointment and extended a warm welcome to him.

The Director General expressed delight over the new assignments of the Minister and his Deputy Madam Nimatulai Bah-Chang who was unavoidably absent. Mr. Paul Minah underscored that staff of the Ministry hoped to benefit immensely from the expertise and experience of the newly appointed Minister to enhance and project the new foreign relations outlook – Economic Diplomacy. The Director General assured the Minister of the management Staff’s utmost cooperation and support to ensure a successful tenure of office.

The vote of thanks was delivered by the Deputy Director for Policy, Dr. Michael Kargbo.

Present were: the Director General; Deputy Directors General for Operations and Policy; Directors of various Divisions and Heads of Sections and Support Staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

 

The Resident Ambassador for Ireland to Sierra Leone and Liberia, Her Excellency Catherine Campbel, has paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Alie Kabba at his Tower Hill office in Freetown.

According to Ambassador Catherine Campbel, her visit is to enhance and deepen the existing partnership and bilateral relations between Ireland and the Republic of Sierra Leone. The Irish Ambassador extended fraternal salutations from the Government and people of Ireland to the Government and people of Sierra Leone. She also presented a congratulatory letter from the Irish Government to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for His Excellency, President Julius Maada She underscored her Government’s continuous assistance and support to Sierra Leone.

The Foreign Minister welcomed the Resident Ambassador for Ireland to Sierra Leone and Liberia to the Ministry and assured her of the full support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs both at bilateral and multilateral levels.

Some of the issues discussed among others focused on strengthening and deepening bilateral relations in the areas of girl child education, food and nutrition for lactating and pregnant women, as well as the people to people relations between Ireland and Sierra Leone.

Present at the ceremony were: the Director General, Mr. Paul Minah; the Directors for Europe and Multilateral Divisions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr. Witsin T. Yankuba and Mr. Franklyn Fawundu; the Head of Irish Aid Sierra Leone, Mary O’Neill; and the Acting Deputy Director of Protocol of the Ministry, Mr. Alhassan Kargbo.

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The Ghana High Commissioner, His Excellency Francis Abakah accompanied by the Head of Consular Tsotsu Selormey to the Republic of Ghana,  today paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Alie Kabba at his Tower Hill office in Freetown.

The Ghana High Commissioner, His Excellency Francis Abakah on behalf of the government and people of Ghana extended sincere fraternal greetings and best wishes to the government and people of Sierra Leone, while congratulating Dr. Alie Kabba for his recent appointment as Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. ‘‘I am here to further broaden and deepen the existing bilateral relations and to affirm our commitment to promote trade and other economic cooperation agreements between the Republic of Ghana and the Republic of Sierra Leone’’, His Excellency Francis Abakah stated.

The Ghana High Commissioner further emphasised the need to cooperate on issues of common interest, particularly on education and to enhance the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) which is the main ECOWAS operational tool for promoting the West Africa region as a Free Trade Area.  He underscored the significance of broadening their engagements and scaling up cooperation in areas such as Agriculture, education and Good Governance.

Welcoming the Ghana High Commissioner and entourage to the Ministry, Dr. Kabba underscored the significance of the visit of the H.E. Francis Abakah which is aimed at broadening and deepening the existing bilateral relations between the two countries. Dr. Kabba lauded the contributions of the Ghanaian government in enhancing peace and stability in Sierra Leone particularly, during the civil war in 1998. He further dilated on the long-standing bilateral relations between the Republic of Ghana and the Republic of Sierra Leone spanning a period of over two centuries. Dr. Alie Kabba expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Ghanaian government for their support and assistance to the Republic of Sierra Leone during the Ebola scourge in 2014-2015 and the mudslide and flood disaster that struck Freetown on August 14, 2017.

‘This visit is of great and far-reaching significance to deepening the new type of strategic partnership between Chana and Sierra Leone and strengthening solidarity and cooperation among the two developing countries in the new circumstances, Dr. Kabba concluded.

The Foreign Minister and the Ghana High Commissioner discussed several issues aimed at enhancing the existing bilateral relations that will serve as a blueprint for other nations in Africa. They underscored the significance of broadening their engagements and scaling up cooperation in areas such as Agriculture, Local Governance and Education. Present at the meeting were: the Director General, M r. Paul Minah; the Directors for Europe and Africa Divisions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr. Witsin T. Yankuba and Mrs. Josephine Sia Hawa Fallah.