Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is moving to strengthen the country’s diplomatic service, with a renewed focus on investment promotion, trade, development partnerships and more effective representation abroad.
The new direction was outlined by Foreign Affairs Minister Mohamed Rahman Swaray during his first global meeting with Sierra Leone’s ambassadors and heads of mission since assuming office. The virtual engagement brought together diplomatic representatives serving across Sierra Leone’s overseas missions.
Minister Swaray said the country’s foreign service must go beyond traditional diplomatic functions and actively pursue opportunities that can advance Sierra Leone’s national development interests.
He identified improved consular services, stronger protection for Sierra Leonean citizens abroad, crisis response, economic diplomacy and greater administrative efficiency as key priorities for the Ministry.
The Minister also called on ambassadors and heads of mission to actively seek opportunities to attract investment, expand trade relations, support development initiatives and mobilise resources for Sierra Leone.
According to him, Sierra Leone’s diplomatic missions should serve as platforms for promoting the country’s economic interests while strengthening international partnerships.
Swaray further emphasised the importance of positioning ambassadors as active representatives of Sierra Leone’s development agenda, particularly in attracting investment, facilitating trade and supporting the country’s broader economic objectives.
The meeting comes less than a month after President Julius Maada Bio appointed Swaray as Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on August 21, 2026. Swaray, who previously served as Minister of Information and Civic Education and Minister of Labour and Social Security, assumed responsibility for the foreign affairs portfolio at a time when the government is seeking to deepen Sierra Leone’s international engagement.
The Minister’s first global heads-of-mission meeting was followed by an in-person assessment of Sierra Leone’s embassy in Monrovia, where he reviewed the mission’s operations and the rehabilitation of its chancery building.
Swaray also disclosed plans to advance a Foreign Service Bill for consideration by Parliament. The proposed legislation is expected to strengthen accountability across overseas missions and align their financial management with national public finance regulations.
He said the Ministry intends to build a Foreign Service that delivers measurable results, protects Sierra Leonean citizens and advances the country’s interests through more strategic and commercially focused diplomacy.
The renewed emphasis reflects a broader effort by the Ministry to reposition Sierra Leone’s diplomatic missions as active contributors to national development, rather than limiting their role to conventional diplomatic representation.
