Freetown, June 4 – The Vice President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, has described the recent two-day working visit of Senegalese Prime Minister, His Excellency Ousmane Sonko, as a milestone in transforming symbolic regional diplomacy into concrete and actionable development partnerships.
Speaking during a strategic engagement in the mining town of Marampa, Vice President Jalloh underscored the shift from dialogue to delivery. “This time it’s not just about cooperation; it’s about concrete cooperation,” he stated, referencing key agreements signed during the visit.
The most notable outcome of the visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see Senegal begin electricity exports to Sierra Leone—a move set to boost energy access and power industrial expansion.
“Senegal already supplies power to Guinea. With this new agreement, Sierra Leone will join the network,” Vice President Jalloh affirmed. “This means electricity in homes, in schools, and for small and large industries across the country.”
The visit builds upon a prior engagement between President Julius Maada Bio and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Unlike previous high-level meetings, this visit resulted in substantial outcomes, laying the foundation for deepened bilateral cooperation in energy, mining, education, and transportation.
Highlighting the strategic alignment of natural resources, Vice President Jalloh pointed to the synergy between Senegal’s gas reserves and Sierra Leone’s minerals as a lever for regional industrialization.
“Instead of exporting minerals thousands of kilometers away, why not partner with our neighbor?” he posed. “Senegal has gas. We have minerals. Together, we can drive transformative development.”
As part of the visit, Prime Minister Sonko toured the Marampa Mines to gain firsthand insight into Sierra Leone’s rich mineral potential—an experience hailed as crucial for mutual understanding and planning.
Further discussions covered areas of taxation reform, educational exchange, and research collaboration. In a move to enhance mobility, direct flights between Dakar and Freetown are expected to resume soon, streamlining travel for students, families, and the business community.
“It’s about connecting our people more easily,” Jalloh said. “Whether it’s for education or commerce, these are the kinds of partnerships that directly impact lives.”
As both nations move toward implementing the agreements reached, expectations remain high that these initiatives will yield long-term dividends, particularly in youth employment, industrial capacity, and regional integration.
“We want to create jobs for our young people,” the Vice President concluded. “That is what this visit is about. That is what meaningful cooperation must achieve.”
Credit: SLENA
