Activist and opposition politician Zainab Sheriff has been sentenced to four years in prison on charges of incitement. Sheriff, who is also a well-known model and musician, was arrested in February after speaking at a political gathering where she criticized alleged election rigging.

The outcome of the 2023 general elections remains a source of intense controversy, with several opposition figures questioning the

Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio, the newly elected chairperson of the  Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS), has vowed to focus on restoring constitutional order and deepening democracy in the region. Bio is taking over from Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, under whose leadership the bloc faced major challenges.

Tinubu served two terms as the chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of

About 80% of women aged 15-49 have been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) in Sierra Leone, according to the UNFPA. The practice is deeply rooted in the country and is an integral part of cultural identity where girls are prepared for womanhood, writes Kaata Minah, an African feminist activist and 2024 Impact West Africa Fellow, for the Inter Press Service.

Mina writes that

Sierra Leone has officially banned child marriage, with President Julius Maada Bio signing a bill into law to end the widespread practice.

The new legislation includes provisions for penalizing offenders, protecting the rights of victims, and ensuring access to education and support services for young girls affected by child marriage. Under the

Pre-primary education has profound benefits for children throughout their lives, Angella Kasule Nabwowe and Jo Becker write in a guest column. It boosts their educational attainment, health, and employment prospects. Brain development is at its highest in early childhood, so this is a critical time for learning.

Scholars across Africa are linking conflict prevention and peacebuilding to reducing economic, social

It's called "Kush" but should not be confused with the drug of the same name found in the US, which is a mixture of "an ever-changing host of chemicals" sprayed on plant matter and smoked. Kush in Sierra Leone is quite different; it is a 

Following a three-nation, five-day visit to west Africa, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield spoke with AllAfrica's Tami Hultman. From her office at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York, Thomas-Greenfield talked about the ongoing crisis in Sudan, UN engagement with smaller, peaceful countries like Namibia and Africa's role on the Security Council, including raising climate issues.  She cites her stops in Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone and Liberia, where she led the U.S.

"Africa cannot be ignored," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said during an Inauguration Day interview with AllAfrica's Boakai Fofana in Monrovia. The Ambassador led the U.S. Presidential Delegation to the investiture of the country's new president, while on a three-nation trip that started with a stopover in Guinea Bissau.

"We have never diminished our commitment to the African continent," she said. When asked whether the

The former president of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, appeared in court on Wednesday, January 3, 2024 on charges of high treason for his alleged involvement in what the government called an attempted coup in late November 2023, Deutsche Welle reports.

Koroma was questioned three times by authorities for his alleged involvement in the botched coup on November 26, 2023. He was placed under house arrest

Former Sierra Leone President Ernest Koroma has been granted permission the country's high court to seek medical attention in Nigeria, writes Chiamaka Okafor for Premium Times.

The former leader faces charges of high treason for his alleged involvement in what the Sierra Leone government called an attempted coup in late November 2023.

The permission granted Koroma comes