Sierra Leone’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Francess Paige Alghali, has reaffirmed the country’s leadership at the United Nations Security Council, spotlighting the West African nation’s achievements during its August 2024 presidency and outlining its strategic priorities for November 2025.
During its August 2024 term, Sierra Leone championed Africa’s long-standing demand for a permanent seat on the Security Council, pushing to correct what many regard as a historic injustice against the continent.
At the weekly government press briefing in Freetown on Tuesday, April 22, Alghali highlighted how Sierra Leone’s diplomacy ensured African reform remained a central focus of the Security Council’s agenda.
Looking ahead to its next presidency in November 2025, Sierra Leone will concentrate on enhancing protection for women in conflict zones, promoting women’s leadership in peace processes, and ensuring that post-conflict recovery is gender-responsive.
The country also intends to empower young people as agents of peace by investing in education and employment initiatives that address the root causes of instability, while fostering intergenerational dialogue. In addition, Sierra Leone plans to strengthen international cooperation to counter cyber threats, safeguard critical infrastructure, and establish norms for responsible state conduct in cyberspace.
Sierra Leone continues to lead the African Union’s Committee of Ten (C-10) on Security Council reform. In that capacity, Freetown will host a high-level retreat for C-10 permanent representatives to harmonize Africa’s reform proposals and present a unified voice in upcoming UN negotiations. Alghali emphasized that this gathering will be critical to consolidating the continent’s position and amplifying its call for meaningful change within the UN’s most powerful body.
Addressing regional tensions, Alghali turned to the prolonged Yenga border dispute with Guinea. She emphasized that both nations remain committed to a diplomatic solution, citing their deep cultural and economic ties, while reserving the right to pursue international legal remedies if bilateral talks do not yield a lasting settlement. This dual approach, she explained, balances the pursuit of peace with the protection of national sovereignty.
Also speaking at the briefing was Professor Charles Chernor Jalloh, Sierra Leone’s candidate for the International Court of Justice (ICJ). A two-term member of the UN International Law Commission, Prof. Jalloh thanked President Bio’s administration for its endorsement and stressed that Sierra Leonean representation on the ICJ bench would boost the country’s ability to shape global legal norms and defend its interests, particularly in any future litigation over Yenga.
His candidacy, backed by a national panel of legal experts including former ICJ judge Abdul G. Koroma, underscores Sierra Leone’s commitment to amplifying African voices in international law.
