Sierra Leone

A ship departed from Freetown was intercepted and diverted to Canary Islands, in a crackdown on international drug trafficking; Spanish police found aboard 35-40 tonnes of cocaine in what has been called “record-breaking cocaine seizure in the Atlantic”

The case of Zainab Sheriff, a young female activist sentenced to four years and two months on counts of 'incitement and use of threatening language', contrary to national law, has stirred debate as she reportedly only expressed views about electoral fraud

A growing number of corpses are being found in public spaces; Freetown started burials for sanitary and humanitarian reasons and asked government to investigate on the use of drugs as cause of death, but the matter was solved issuing 'removing' policies

A nationwide ban on artisanal fishing, small-scale fishermen, and industrial trawlers was imposed for the month of February to allow stocks to rebuild; the 2026 "closed season" is now over and all activities have resumed

The All People's Congress APC boycotted parliamentary and local council activities following President Bio's appointment of a new Chief Electoral Commissioner

Citizens expressed dismay following the release of 2024 Auditor General Report, which shows that one of the key institutions they anticipated could be implicated in the embezzlement of public funds, the Office of the President, was not in the document

17.905 deaths were recorded in 2025, 306.0057 live births - female 51% males 49% - and 3.739 stillbirths: experts say the figure highlights persistent challenges in prenatal care, access to skilled birth attendants, and emergency obstetric service

The Dream Model United Nations Conference 2025 was hosted in Freetown, bringing together forward-thinking youth, actively engaged in diplomacy, leadership, global problem-solving and underlining the city's pioneer role for youths in Africa

Africa No Filter awards celebrated African films that challenge stereotypes and reshape how global audiences understand the continent; this year the public was invited to nominate films and 300 submissions came from across the continent and its diaspora

1.000 kilogrammes of cocaine valued over $20million have been found by Nigeria Customs Service in a 20-foot container shipped from Sierra Leone to the Port and Terminal Multiservices in Lagos, Nigeria; the trove was publicly displayed

The Sierra Leone Water Security and WASH Access Improvement Project has been approved by the World Bank and supported by a $40 million International Development Association grant focused on securing water access in the Western Area