Sierra Leone News

  Land cleared for a palm oil plantation is seen in Malen chiefdom in Pujehun district in southern Sierra Leone October 27, 2011. FREETOWN, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Sierra Leone's parliament on Monday passed two laws that lawyers say will help boost the rights of rural landowners and women against land grabs by big mining and agribusiness firms. The West African country has a history of sometimes deadly conflict between local communities and foreign companies that have cleared huge tracts of land for palm oil and sugarcane plantations in recent years. Locals have complained of environmental damage, losing their livelihoods and not being fairly compensated for their land. Under the current system, landowners get an annual rent of $2.5 per acre, which was determined by the state.  The Customary Land Rights Act and the Land Commission Act, both enacted on Monday, empower local landowners to negotiate the value of their land with investors and prevent it being leased out without their ex...

  Last Friday, the government of Sierra Leone signed a deal with the Turkish government to strengthen Sierra Leone’s military capability. The agreement was signed by Sierra Leone’s Minister of Defense, Brig. Gen (Rtd) Hassan Kellie Conteh and the Turkish Minister of National Defense, Hulusi Akar.   (Photo above: President Bio and the Turkish President Erdogan in December 2021). According to a press statement from the Sierra Leone Embassy in Turkey, “The purpose of the Agreement is to provide a framework for developing and furthering cooperation and relations between the two countries’ military and defense related matters, with particular reference to the fields specified in the Agreement and in other fields that may be agreed upon by the two countries national legislation, regulations and international obligations. The Agreement also cover the training of Sierra Leone personnel, provision of material, equipment, information and experience.” Brig. Gen. (Rtd) Hassan Kellie Conte...

    Parliament of Sierra Leone last Wednesday, 3rd August, 2022 passed a new law titled “The Tobacco and Nicotine Act, 2022”, banning smoking in public places. The new law addresses the control and regulation of the production, manufacturing, importation, packaging and labeling, advertising, promotion and sponsorship, sale and use of tobacco, tobacco products, and other nicotine products. It promotes the improvement of public health by limiting the health harms caused by the use of, and exposure to, tobacco including nicotine, by reducing demand for tobacco and nicotine products. It also makes provision for the incorporation of Sierra Leone’s obligations under the World Health Organization Framework Convention in Tobacco Control into domestic Law, and for the government to set up a Tobacco and Nicotine Control Secretariat which will be responsible for the implementation of the new law Act. According to a research report published in June 2020 by the Oxford Policy Fellowship, “...

  Sierra Leone: Protests possible in Freetown and elsewhere, Aug. 8 Anti-government protests are possible in Freetown and elsewhere in Sierra Leone, Aug. 8. Officials may increase security in Freetown and other major towns in the country in response to threats posted online by unknown persons to hold anti-government demonstrations, Aug. 8. The National Security Coordinator release a statement Aug. 6 noting that it was following social media communications calling for protests. Officials have noted that no group has applied for permission to demonstrate and urged citizens to go about their normal activities. The US Embassy in Sierra Leone has also responded to the social media posts regarding potential protest or strike action Aug. 8 and has indicated that the Sierra Leone Police plan to deploy additional personnel to strategic locations across Freetown. Should protests occur, security personnel will likely deploy to disperse crowds. Clashes are possible. Disruptions related to poli...

After sixty years of procrastination, the Parliament of Sierra Leone has today passed into law “The Customary Land Rights Act 2022”, which the government says will address deep inequalities and discrimination in the ownership and control of land, especially in the provinces. Presenting the Bill to MPs, the Minister of Land, Housing and Country Planning – Dr. Turad Senesie said the new law will give rights to all Sierra Leoneans to own land anywhere, irrespective of their tribe or gender. Addressing centuries old discrimination against the Creoles, who under existing laws cannot own land in the provinces, the minister said that with the passing of the Customary Land Right Act 2022, the Creoles will have the right to own land everywhere. The new law he said will also promote gender equality and ensure that marriage couple can jointly register land ownership. Title to land will be registered in family names to ensure collective consent is secured in disposing of family-owned land. “We wan...