AWE Media Sierra Leone

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson  As Journalists, media innovators and civil society actors across the globe on Thursday, marked World Fact-Checking Day 2026, renewing calls for stronger defenses against misinformation in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, social media and rapid information flows.   The day observed annually on April 2, and promoted by global fact-checking networks, the day highlights the critical role of verification in safeguarding democracy, public trust and informed decision-making.    This year’s observance comes amid growing concern over the scale and sophistication of false information worldwide, with experts emphasizing collaboration, digital literacy and technological innovation as key tools in the fight for truth.   Globally, fact-checking has evolved from a niche journalistic practice into a central pillar of modern media ecosystems and the rise of digital platforms and AI-generated content has intensified both the spread ...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson  The Gender and Social Inclusion Unit of the National Disaster Management Agency has taken a major step toward inclusive disaster governance with the launch of its “Women in Disaster Management Initiative.” The maiden meeting, held on March 31, 2026, brought together female staff and senior leadership, including Director General, John Vandy Rogers, to shape the initiative’s framework and roadmap ahead of its official rollout. Designed to empower women and institutionalize gender mainstreaming, the initiative aligns with global standards such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, while adapting them to Sierra Leone’s context. “Mainstreaming gender is not optional, it is essential,” Rogers said, stressing that sustainable resilience depends on women’s full participation in disaster risk reduction and leadership. Female staff described the initiative as inspi...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson  Mohamed Kallon, the Head coach of Sierra Leone's senior men's national football team (Leone Stars) has unveiled a refreshed national team squad for the March 2026 FIFA Series friendlies, handing opportunities to a cluster of first-time call-ups while recalling several experienced internationals in a bid to reshape the Leone Stars. The selection reflects a clear recalibration by Kallon, who is seeking to inject youth, restore competitive balance, and evaluate depth ahead of upcoming continental and World Cup qualifying campaigns. Among the most notable inclusions are a group of potential debutants including John Thomas Kamara (Jay Tee) and Yayah Kallon, .  In the defense, regular suspects Abdulai Juma Bah, Nathaniel Jalloh, Emmanuel Samadia, Sallieu Tarawalie and Alpha Turay are joined youngester Citta Bah, and Idriss Kanu who have been drafted in as part of what appears to be a long-term rebuilding of the backline. Their elevation signals a shift towa...

By Chris Kamara GDMS The FRMF in the finals of the AFCON 2025 acted in bad faith towards the match and played a key role in cajoling Senegal to continue the match despite Senegal were in breach of Article 82 of the AFCON Regulations , by walking out of the game , without the approval of the referee.   Morocco acted in bad faith on the pretext that, they have an advantage due to the penalty that had been awarded to them and they believed that, they will score and eventually go on to win the tournament.  On that note, they were very sure that getting Senegal back on the pitch will secure that agenda and as such enable them win the AFCON.  What they failed to know is that, such intentional dishonest and deceitful conduct would waive their rights ( estoppel) to any successful litigation in future as they have participated in correcting the wrong doing of Senegal; and did not find anything wrong in their conduct.  Morocco  did not refuse to play citing the breac...

By: Alhaji A. Barrie Morocco have been officially crowned champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following a dramatic and unprecedented ruling by the Confederation of African Football Appeals Board that overturned the outcome of the tournament’s final. In a decision that has sent shockwaves across the football world, CAF invoked Article 84 of its competition regulations governing match forfeitures to determine that Senegal national football team forfeited the final against Morocco national football team. As a result, the match has been officially recorded as a 3–0 victory in favour of Morocco, with the title awarded to the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF). The ruling effectively hands the North African side the AFCON crown without the final being decided on the pitch. The decision marks one of the most controversial conclusions in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, raising questions about disciplinary enforcement, tournament integrity, and the broader ...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson  Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at the State House swore in Mr. Edmond Sylvester Alpha as Chief Electoral Commissioner and Chairman of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), charging him with safeguarding the country’s democratic process. Mr. Alpha takes office following parliamentary approval and consultations with registered political parties, as required by Sierra Leone’s Constitution. In his first remarks after taking the oath, the new electoral chief described his appointment as “a sacred contract with the people of Sierra Leone” and pledged to lead the Commission with independence, transparency, integrity and inclusiveness. “Our democracy thrives on the belief that every voice matters and every vote counts,” Mr. Alpha said, assuring citizens and political actors that the ECSL under his leadership would be guided strictly by constitutional and legal frameworks. He committed to maintaining an open-door pol...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson  Sierra Leone’s joint security personnel who were arrested and detained by Guinean troops following a cross-border incursion into the northern town of Kaliereh, Falaba District, have been released after high-level diplomatic engagements between the two West African neighbours. The incident, which sparked anxiety among residents along the porous Sierra Leone–Guinea frontier, occurred when armed troops from Guinea reportedly crossed into Kaliereh and detained members of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) and other joint security officers stationed in the area. The unexpected incursion heightened tensions in the remote border community and surrounding chiefdoms in Falaba District, raising concerns over territorial integrity and the safety of security personnel deployed to safeguard Sierra Leone’s northern boundary. However, swift diplomatic intervention by Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Timothy Musa Kabba...