Abubakarr Bah

08/06/2025

Sierra Leonean Hajj Pilgrims Safely Return to Makkah for the Final Phase of Hajj

By Alhaji Abubakarr Bah, Information Attaché, Saudi Arabia.

All of the 2,100 Sierra Leonean pilgrims, including the 100 beneficiaries of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Guest Program for Hajj, safely returned to Makkah on Sunday afternoon after completing the Hajj rituals at Arafat, Muzdalifah, and Mina.

At Mount Arafat on Thursday, 5th June, 2025, Sierra Leone's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Mohammed S. Barrie and Deputy Ambassador Alhaji Abdul Aziz Turay joined pilgrims in offering special prayers for the Government and the people of Sierra Leone.

During their stay in Makkah, the Sierra Leonean pilgrims will join other faithfuls from around the world to perform the "Tawaf al-Ifadha," which involves circumambulating the Kaaba seven times and offering two rakats of prayer behind Maqam Ibrahim, followed by Sa'i (walking or running) between the hills of Safa and Marwah. This ritual commemorates the wife of Prophet Ibrahim, Hajer, who searched for water for her infant son, Prophet Ismail (AS), and teaches Muslims the values of patience, hope, and faith in Allah.

Upon completing the Sa'i, the Sierra Leonean pilgrims will have finished the four main pillars of the Hajj.

The 100 pilgrims who benefited from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Guest Program for Hajj will travel to Madinah on Monday, 9th June 2025, for "Ziyarah" after performing the Farewell Tawaf (Tawaf al-Wada), a mandatory act that signifies a farewell to the holy city and the House of Allah (SWT).

According to sources from the Presidential Hajj Taskforce, a total of 2,000 rams will be sacrificed on Monday as "Tamattu" for all pilgrims performing this year's Hajj. Dr. Alhaji Chernor Ibrahim Bah (Dokal), a member of the Presidential Hajj Task Force responsible for rituals, explained that the sacrificial lamb is obligatory for every pilgrim who performed Umrah first and then Hajj, known as "Tamattu." The scholarship covers the "Tamattu" for the 100 beneficiaries of the Royal scholarship.

The 100 beneficiaries of the Royal scholarship are expected to depart for Freetown on 12th June 2025 via Saudi Airlines, while the 600 Sierra Leonean home-based Hajj pilgrims will depart from Jeddah for Freetown on 24th (first batch of 300) and 25th June 2025 (second batch of 300). Pilgrims from the diaspora will depart for their destinations on various dates starting from 11th June 2025.

A total of 1,673,230 pilgrims from around the world are performing the 1446/2025 Hajj in Makkah. Out of that number, 877,841 are male pilgrims, while female pilgrims numbered 795,389, according to official figures.

Saudi authorities said the movement of pilgrims to Arafat proceeded smoothly, with traffic flowing efficiently and operational plans fully implemented.

Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is a religious obligation for Muslims who are physically and financially able to undertake the journey. This year's pilgrimage runs from June 4 to June 9.

Photos: Courtesy of Dr Ahmed Umar Wurie Bah.

For enquiries:
Abubakarr Bah, Information Attaché, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

08/03/2025

At OIC Summit, H.E Ambassador Barrie Calls for Lasting Peace in Middle East

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, 8th March, 2025 - The Ambassador Extraordinary and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), His Excellency Mohammed S. Barrie, has called for a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. He made this call at the Twentieth Emergency Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, 7th March 2025.

Ambassador Barrie led Sierra Leone's delegation to the summit, representing the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Alhaji Timothy Musa Kabba. The summit, attended by 57 member states, reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing comprehensive peace in the Middle East and adopted the Arab League's proposal to rebuild the Gaza Strip under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority.

In his address, Ambassador Barrie conveyed warm greetings from His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, and the OIC. He described the OIC's commitment to addressing the urgent issues of the Palestinians for a lasting peace, with the Arab-Islamic plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip, as commendable.

"The ongoing aggression against the Palestinian people is not merely a regional issue; it is a matter of human rights, dignity, and justice," Ambassador Barrie said. He added that Sierra Leone strongly condemns the actions that have led to the suffering of countless innocent civilians in Gaza and called for a just and lasting peace to protect innocent lives caught in the conflict.

Ambassador Barrie emphasized Sierra Leone's firm support for a two-state solution, based on the 1967 borders, as recognized by relevant UN Security Council resolutions. This solution would allow both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples to coexist in peace and dignity in the Middle East.

In conclusion, Ambassador Barrie joined other member states in welcoming the reinstatement of the Syrian Arab Republic to the OIC, which was suspended in August 2012.

Ambassador Barrie was accompanied by Alhaji Ahmed Tejan Kabba, Head of Chancery of the Embassy.

For further information, please contact: [email protected]

15/05/2024

30/11/2022

MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS INTERACTS WITH STAFF OF SIERRA LEONE EMBASSY IN SAUDI ARABIA

Sierra Leone Chancery, Riyadh, Wednesday, November 30, 2022-

Sierra Leone's Minister of Information and Communications has held a familiarisation meeting with the staff of the Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Minister is leading Sierra Leone’s delegation to Saudi Arabia for a three-day-working visit at the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) symposium.

During the meeting, Hon. Mohamed Rahman Swaray said he was very pleased to meet and interact with the staff of the Embassy on his his first visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Minister highlighted the achievements of the Government of Sierra Leone and made emphasis on the activities undertaken by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

He reaffirmed President Bio’s commitment to Human Capital Development, especially the Free Quality Education, which he described as the flagship of the New Direction administration.

Hon. Swarray said President Bio is committed towards women’s empowerment, adding that the Bio administration on November 15, 2022, enacted the Gender Equality, Women’s Empowerment Act. He said the law does not only give right to women to acquire property in Sierra Leone, but also seeks to address the gender imbalances by making provision for increased elective positions for women, enhance gender equality in employment and training, provide for the implementation of gender mainstreaming and budgeting, and women’s access to finance through micro credit facilities, among others.

He also spoke on the introduction of the Proportional Representation (P.R) System for the forthcoming elections slated for June 2023. He said the system would enhance regional cohesion and widen the democratic space.

Hon. Swaray said the rationale underpinning the P.R system is to consciously reduce the disparity between a political party's share of the national votes and its share of the parliamentary seats, adding that "if a major party, for example, wins 40 percent of the votes, it should win approximately 40 percent of the seats, thereby enabling a smaller party with 10 percent of the votes to secure 10 percent of the legislative seats".

He reiterated that the congruity between a party's share of the votes and its share of the seats provides an incentive for all parties to support and participate in the P.R system as it would also help smaller political parties to secure seats in the next Parliament of Sierra Leone.

The Minister added that the new direction administration has abolished several laws in a bid to strengthen democracy, such as the repeal of Part V of the Criminal Libel Law, and the abolition of the death penalty.

The Minister also made reference to the enactment of the Cyber Law in June 2021, which helps to curtail the abusive use of social media.

The Minister also received updates from the staff of the Mission on the key activities undertaken by the Embassy as well as challenges affecting employees.

The Deputy Ambassador of the Sierra Leone Embassy in Saudi Arabia, Mohamed Hassan Koroma, on behalf of the Mission, commended the Minister of Information and Communications and his team for the visit. He also commended the IMCTC for inviting the Minister and his delegation.

Ambassador Koroma also lauded the valuable contributions the Permanent Representative to the IMCTC, Colonel (Rtd) Simeon Nasiru Sheriff and Lt. Col. Muctarr Samagutie Tejan, delegate for Communication and Military Representative are making at the IMCTC.

The meeting ended with a question and answer session, followed by a vote of thanks by the Deputy Ambassador of the Sierra Leone Embassy in Saudi Arabia, Mohamed Hassan Koroma.

The Honorable Minister was accompanied by Lt. Col. Issa Bangura of the Ministry of Defence (M.O.D), Abdul Karim Will of the Office of National Security (ONS) and George Lewis of the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Cooperation (SLBC).

END
For more enquiries, please contact:
[email protected]

30/11/2022

Counter Terrorism Conference concludes in Saudi Arabia

By Abubakarr Bah, Information Attaché

The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, successfully concluded a three-working-day counter-terrorism symposium on the theme *"The Role of the Media in Countering Terrorism".*

The Minister of Information and Communications and Head of the Sierra Leone delegation, Hon. Mohamed Rahman Swaray, whilst speaking on the topic *"Using social media to Curb the Spread of Extremism”* said “hate speech is fodder for conflict. It undermines peace and social cohesion and engenders intolerance and hatred."

He reiterated that social media have become “a double-edged sword”, adding that the need for peacebuilding cannot be overemphasised. He urged state actors in society to jealously guard against its abuse.

Mr. Swaray said that the President, His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio, the Government and the people of the Republic of Sierra Leone welcomed the IMCTC to support her various efforts at proactively forestalling the spread of extremism in the country. He disclosed that Sierra Leone recently launched the ‘Go-travel’ Advance Passenger Information (API) system and established the counter-terrorism unit, aimed at detecting and preventing terrorist travel and responding to such threats as and when they occur.

"The Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record (PNR), is meant to aid screening of passengers at destination airports, while preserving their individual rights," he said.

The Minister also disclosed that the Government of Sierra Leone now collaborates with non-governmental organisations, such as DUBAWA and Salone Fact Checker to correct misinformation and disinformation, especially those that could potentially disrupt the social order.

The Honourable Minister said the government was enforcing the 2020 Cybercrime Act to address the excesses of social media so that they are used for good. He noted that tackling hate speech was crucial to enhancing progress and development across the country as it would help prevent serious human rights violations and the outbreak of another civil war.

Mr. Swaray concluded by saying that: “Technological advancement has opened the digital space. Social media are an essential outlet through which people, including the grassroots population, express their opinions on governance and contemporary issues.”

At the end of the seminar, the Secretary-General of the IMCTC, Major General Pilot Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Mughidi, stressed that the conference was aimed at creating a unified media discourse against terrorism and extremism, and to draw a road map to identify its ways and renewed tools to defeat and eliminate it globally.

“This seminar also aims to increase the level of coordination and cooperation, and intensify dialogue between the media, intellectual and cultural sectors in order to reach effective mechanisms that contribute to combating terrorism at the media and intellectual levels, and to come up with media and intellectual recommendations in this regard,” Major General Al-Mughidi said.

Major General Al-Mugheedi pointed to the magnitude of suffering faced by Islamic and international countries from the scourge of terrorism and extremism, of which Islam is innocent, noting the gravity of atrocities perpetrated by terrorists.

Delegates from 28 accredited countries around the world attended the conference which is the first to be organized by IMCTC since its formation in 2015.

In another development, the Hon. Minister is expected to engage the staff of the Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday. The meeting will hinge on a familiarisation exercise, update on the key activities undertaken by the Embassy, as well as the achievements of the Ministry of Information and Communications under the leadership of His Excellency the President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio.

END

15/09/2022

Sierra Leone Ambassador to Saudi Arabia presents Embassy Newsletters to Information Minister

Freetown, Thursday 15 September, 2022-

The Ambassador Extra-ordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Ibrahim Jalloh, today, September 15, 2022, during a courtesy call on the Minister of Information and Communications, presented copies of two editions of the Embassy’s newsletter .

Ambassador Jalloh, while presenting copies of the newsletter of the Sierra Leone Embassy in Saudi Arabia, said the first edition gives a detailed account of the bilateral relations between Sierra Leone and Saudi Arabia, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and Oman. He said it also features the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Professor David John Francis, to the Kingdom. The second and latest edition, he said, gives a comprehensive coverage of the 2022 Hajj and an insight into the differences between Hajj and Umrah. He said other issues covered include the recent visit of the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Osman Alpha Timbo, meant for the signing of two Labour Agreement between the two countries.

The Ambassador commended the Government and Minister of Information for assigning Abubakarr Bah as Information Attaché to the Sierra Leone Embassy in Saudi Arabia, describing him as a very hardworking staff.

Responding, the Minister of Information and Communications, Hon. Mohamed Rahman Swaray, commended the Ambassador for the courtesy call. He said he was very pleased to receive the copies of the newsletter. The Minister also commended the Information Attaché Abubakarr Bah and encouraged him to keep up the good work.

Copies of the newsletter were also presented to the Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Solomon Jamiru Esq.

Ambassador Jalloh earlier this week presented copies of the newsletter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Professor David Francis, and top officials of the Ministry, the Minister of Social Welfare, Madam Baindu Dassama, her deputy, Mohamed Kella, as well as the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

Ambassador Jalloh was accompanied by the Information Attaché of the Embassy, Abubakarr Bah.

In another related development, the Information Attaché of the Embassy, Abubakarr Bah on behalf of the Ambassador presented copies of the Newsletter to the Chairman of the Independent Media Commission (IMC), Dr. Victor Massaquoi and the Sierra Leone Library Board in Freetown.

The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), the Universities and the Library of the Sierra Leone Parliament would also be given copies of the two editions of the Embassy newsletter.

END

07/09/2022

Our final printout of the second edition of the Embassy of Sierra Leone, Saudi Arabia Newsletter after blind reading. Send me a message via WhatsApp on +966567766322 for the E-Version/PDF. This edition defines Hajj and Umrah and gives a clear explanation between these two important forms of Islamic worship. It also gives a comprehensive reportage of the just concluded Hajj (1443/2022). It also features the recent visit of the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Alpha Osman Timbo to Saudi Arabia and the the signing of two Labour Agreement between the two countries.

01/09/2022

*Hajj Special 2022 Newsletter*

Today, we present to you our second edition of the Newsletter of the Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone in Saudi Arabia.

This edition gives you a comprehensive reportage on the just concluded (1443/2022) Hajj. We provide you an insight into what the Hajj is about and we also distinguish between Hajj and Umrah for our readers to get an in-depth understanding of these highly important forms of Islamic worship.

This edition also features the recent visit of Sierra Leone's Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Alpha Osman Timbo to Saudi Arabia and the signing of the Labour and General Workers Agreement between the two countries as well as the follow-up visit of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) delegation to Sierra Leone for the implementation of key projects, among others.

We remain committed to reaching out to our international publics and also inform citizens back home of our activities.

Do have a good read!!! Thank you. Send us a WhatsApp message to +966567766322 for the PDF/E version of our Newsletter

*Abubakarr Bah*
Information Attaché
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

03/08/2022

*BREAKING NEWS*

Barriers around the Ka’bah are being removed and access to the Kabah, Hajar Al Aswad and Hateem for pilgrims will be restored shortly after a period of 2.5 years following the order issued by His Excellencey President Sheikh Abdur Rahman As Sudais

30/07/2022

20/07/2022

*2022 Hajj Report*

A total of 941 Pilgrims from Sierra Leone have completed the 1443/2022 Hajj in Makkah, Saudi Arabia and are preparing to return to Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone's Information Attaché to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Abubakarr Bah files in this report 👇🏻👇🏻