Author: Tunde

If you left Sierra Leone, or your parents did, or you’ve spent any time around people who did, you already know this story has more than one side. The diaspora isn’t a single thing. It’s not a movement, it’s not a community, and it’s definitely not the heroic narrative that gets told at fundraising events in London and Washington. It’s complicated. And that’s exactly what nobody wants to say out loud. What “The Diaspora” Actually Means in Practice Ask ten Sierra Leoneans what the diaspora is and you’ll get ten different answers, most of them slightly defensive. The word gets…

Thirty-seven people accused of illegal mining in north-central Nigeria have died in custody, according to local officials. Police are investigating the deaths, which the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) attributed to an apparent disease outbreak. However, an intelligence report shared with AFP suggested the deaths resulted from overcrowding and poor ventilation at the detention facility in Niger state. The father of one detainee, Abdullahi Dalhatu, said his son survived due to proximity to a small window, while others suffocated in the cell. Dalhatu recounted how many detainees began collapsing in the heat, with others knocking frantically for help…

Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Information and Civic Education will host a special edition of its Civic Day series in the United States during the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81). The event, named “Civic Day USA Edition,” aims to engage Sierra Leoneans living abroad, as well as international partners, in discussions about national issues. It will take place on 24 September 2026 at 4:00 p.m. at In Daylight Studio, 450 W 31st Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10001. This initiative is part of the government’s #SaloneBigPasWiAll campaign, which promotes civic engagement and public participation beyond Sierra Leone’s borders.…

If you’re trying to figure out whether the country has a future worth believing in or whether corruption has already swallowed it whole, then this is the article you’ve been looking for. What “Corruption” Actually Looks Like on the Ground There’s a version of this conversation that happens in development reports and academic papers, and then there’s the version that happens when you’re sitting on a poda-poda in Freetown, crammed between a woman carrying plantains and a man in a suit who’s going to the same government building as you, for very different reasons. Corruption in Sierra Leone isn’t abstract.…

On 18 August 2026, the APMEN Vector Control Working Group, in partnership with the Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research and the Malaria Consortium, held a webinar for World Mosquito Day, focusing on the future of mosquito vector control. The event attracted over 700 professionals from 69 countries, including experts and public health officials, to discuss innovative tools and collaborations aimed at enhancing malaria and mosquito-borne disease control. To advance malaria elimination efforts, it is vital to explore new methods that complement existing prevention strategies. Although insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying have significantly reduced malaria cases, they mainly protect…

A man has died after a shark attack off Sorrento Beach in Perth. Emergency services were dispatched to the popular beach around 10.30am on Friday following reports of the incident. Western Australia police confirmed that the man sustained injuries while swimming and later died. Rescue teams, including water and air personnel, conducted a thorough search of the area, but the swimmer’s body has not yet been recovered. Sorrento Beach will remain closed until noon on Saturday, and local authorities have advised residents to avoid the water until it is deemed safe. The City of Wanneroo has also closed all other…

The Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) has ordered Musa Tarawally to stop using the party’s logo or claiming affiliation with the SLPP, following confirmation from the Citizens Democratic Party (CDP) that he remains a member. This directive was issued in a letter dated 17 September 2026 from SLPP National Chairman Jimmy Batilo Songa, which was also sent to prominent party officials and leaders of various political parties. The SLPP sought clarification on Tarawally’s membership from the CDP, whose Secretary General confirmed on 3 September that Tarawally is still with them. This is significant, as he was the CDP’s candidate in…

If you’ve spent any time in Sierra Leone, you already know the answer isn’t simple. You’ve probably also noticed that the question itself lands differently depending on who you ask, and which part of the country you’re asking it. Spend a morning at Congo Cross market in Freetown and you’ll hear it in the way people talk about the price of rice. Spend an evening in a local bar in Bo and you’ll hear it in the jokes that aren’t quite jokes. There’s a kind of political exhaustion that settles into a country after decades of being let down and…

Leone Stars Head Coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa has announced a 25-man squad for Sierra Leone’s opening matches in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea. The squad, revealed by the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), comprises three goalkeepers, eight defenders, seven midfielders, and seven forwards as preparations begin. Selected goalkeepers include Mamadou Ullah, Francis Koroma, and Ibrahim Sesay. The defensive line features Abdulai Juma Bah, Emmanuel Samadia, Alpha Turay, Abdul Jarju Kabia, Sallieu Tarawallie, MJ Kamson-Kamara, Osman Kakay, and Mohamed Fofanah. In midfield, Gomes Da Rosa has included Saidu Fofanah, Saidu Bah Kamara,…

A British mother of two, Nusrat Osman, 47, was rescued after being abducted in Malawi last week, according to police. Inspector General Richard Luhanga confirmed she is safe and has been reunited with her family following a police operation in Blantyre on Thursday. Four suspected kidnappers were killed during the operation. The Malawi Police Service reported that their officers exchanged gunfire with the armed suspects, who were carrying an AK-47 rifle and a Girsan Regard MC pistol. Police stated, “The criminals got shot and were rushed to the hospital where they succumbed to their injuries.” During the incident, Deputy Inspector…