In a series of important bilateral meetings at the Africa Human Capital Heads of State Summit in Tanzania on Thursday, July 27, 2023, President Julius Maada Bio engaged in discussions with Mr. Demeke Mekonnen Hassen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
During their meeting, Mr. Hassen extended warm congratulations to President Bio on his recent reelection at the first ballot in the 2023 elections, hailing it as a significant achievement for Sierra Leone. He also took the opportunity to commend Sierra Leone for securing a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, highlighting the importance of these successes for the small West African nation.
The talks between the two leaders delved into their respective flagship programs. Mr. Hassen shared Ethiopia’s remarkable progress with the “Green Legacy” initiative, which successfully saw the planting of 25 billion trees in the last 5 years.
He also outlined other projects, including the “Basket of Abundance,” which encourages households to engage in agriculture and vegetable planting, and the “Quality Education” program aimed at benefiting the new generation. Additionally, Ethiopia’s successful Health Insurance schemes were brought to the forefront of the discussion.
In response, President Julius Maada Bio assured Ethiopia of Sierra Leone’s unwavering support and expressed the country’s commitment to maintaining friendly relations with Ethiopia. He also praised Ethiopia’s successful wheat production, noting that it served as a positive example for Sierra Leone to learn from, particularly given the importance of agriculture and food security within their shared priorities outlined in the “Big Five Manifesto.”
Furthermore, President Bio expressed keen interest in learning from Ethiopia’s experience with their health insurance scheme, seeing it as a potential model to address healthcare challenges in Sierra Leone.
He proposed the expansion of Ethiopian Airlines’ services to Freetown, a move that could enhance connectivity and foster deeper cooperation between the two nations.
Both leaders reminisced about their prior discussions in 2019, when Mr. Hassen led a high-powered delegation on a two-day working state visit to Sierra Leone. During that visit, they participated in a high-level inter-ministerial meeting with various departments and agencies, laying the groundwork for further bilateral cooperation between Ethiopia and Sierra Leone.
The meeting concluded on a positive note, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to strengthening ties and mutual collaboration for the benefit of their nations and the broader African continent.
