NEW YORK – Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay Esq., has said Sierra Leone will not be defined by blackmail or sweeping allegations linking the country to transnational drug trafficking.
Sesay made the statement during the Civic Day Series Townhall – USA Edition in New York on Friday, held on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81).
Speaking to Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora, Sesay said government rejects attempts to brand Sierra Leone a “narco-state” and will not accept what he described as unfounded allegations against West African states to produce a “narco-state” label.
What Triggered The Response
In recent months, Dutch and European law enforcement reports have alleged that cocaine trafficking networks are increasingly using West Africa as a transit route to Europe, with claims published in some international media linking Sierra Leone.
On September 23, Sesay met with the Netherlands Minister of Justice and Security, David van Weel, in New York to discuss the issue directly.
According to the AG, the meeting focused on strengthening legal cooperation in the fight against transnational organised crime, based on mutual respect, shared interest and mutual benefit, and ensuring that allegations are addressed through evidence and due process, not media blackmail.
He said the two sides agreed to deepen cooperation on legal contact points, non-forcible deportation standards, and joint security operations.
Key Messages From Sesay In New York:
– Sovereignty First: Sierra Leone will not be defined by blackmail or external pressure.
– Due Process: Allegations of drug trafficking must be proven with evidence, not insinuation.
– Mutual Respect: Sierra Leone is committed to fighting transnational crime as a partner, not as a pariah state.
The Civic Day engagement, organised by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education, is part of government’s effort to directly engage with Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora. The New York edition also featured updates on the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill and government’s digital transformation drive.
Sesay, who is Sierra Leone’s youngest Attorney-General and a former human rights lawyer with the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the ICC, has in recent weeks been leading Sierra Leone’s legal diplomacy on the issue of organised crime, which President Julius Maada Bio has repeatedly said requires international cooperation.
Sierra Leone government has maintained that while it takes all credible intelligence on drug trafficking seriously and has made arrests in the past year, it will not accept the criminalization of the entire state based on unverified claims.
