By Wurie Baibana, Canberra
Donald Trump’s recent implementation of travel restrictions and bans has sparked considerable discussion, particularly his inclusion of Sierra Leone. This policy, set to commence on Monday, 9 June 2025, at 12:01 AM AEST, without a specified end date, extends to citizens from 12 countries in the Middle East and Africa (Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen) and imposes restrictions on 7 other countries, including Sierra Leone, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The decision to include Sierra Leone has been met with scrutiny, given the nation’s generally perceived stability and its robust efforts in democratic and social reform. Critics argue that Sierra Leone has not historically posed a security threat to the United States or other Western nations.
*A prevailing sentiment among observers, is that the inclusion of Sierra Leone in these restrictions may be linked to the Trump administration’s tendency to reverse policies enacted by its predecessor, the Biden administration.* This perspective is strengthened by Sierra Leone’s recent engagement with the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
On 27 September 2024, Sierra Leone signed a $480 million Millennium Challenge Compact with the MCC. This five-year grant is aimed at transforming Sierra Leone’s energy sector, with the goal of providing affordable and reliable electricity to millions and stimulating economic growth, foreign investment, and job creation. The MCC, established by the U.S. Congress in 2004, is an independent foreign aid agency that funds programs in eligible countries based on rigorous, merit-based application processes, focusing on poverty reduction and economic growth. For context, Liberia’s MCC Compact, which concluded in 2021, reportedly doubled electricity access and improved road maintenance systems in that country.
Sierra Leone’s success in securing this MCC grant is largely attributed to its significant democratic advancements. The nation has transitioned from hosting a large UN peacekeeping force in 1999 to now deploying its own personnel to peacekeeping missions globally. Its political leaders are selected through democratic elections.
Under the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio and Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, Sierra Leone has maintained a stable and reform-oriented government. Their collaboration, in which Dr. Jalloh has taken an active role in overseeing national security, economic policy, and development initiatives, has been a notable feature. The administration has implemented reforms in education, anticorruption, and public service delivery, contributing to institutional stability. Their re-election in 2023 is seen as providing continuity and fostering national cohesion across political, regional, tribal, and religious lines.
Further accomplishments under President Bio and Dr. Jalloh’s administration includes:
*Education:* The launch of the compulsory universal education under the Free Quality School Education (FQSE) program in 2018.
*Human Capital Development:* Prioritising healthcare, education, and youth empowerment as pillars of national development, with expanded access to tertiary education and technical and vocational training.
*Digital Innovation:* Hosting the 2025 Digital Innovation Summit, aiming to position Sierra Leone as a regional leader in digital transformation, promoting tech-driven governance and youth-led innovation hubs.
*Women’s Rights:* Through the efforts of First Lady Dr. Fatima Bio’s “Hands Off Our Girls” campaign, significant progress has been made:
– Amendment of the Sexual Offences Act in 2019, increasing minimum sentences for rape to 15 years and mandating life imprisonment for child rape (up from a previous maximum of 2 years).
– Establishment of a fast-track Special Court for rape cases in 2020, reducing processing time from two years to one week.
– Training of 40 medical doctors to handle rape cases and provide expert testimony (up from only one doctor previously).
– Distribution of free sanitary pads to girls in government-assisted schools.
*Dr. Fatima Maada Bio was elected President of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD)* at the start of 2025.
*Freedom of Expression:* Abolition of the Public Order Act of 1965, which criminalised libel and sedition, in 2020. Repressive governments used the Public Order Act of 1965 to suppress press freedom, lock up journalists and political opponents. The Public Order ACT Reform 2020 was a major victory for freedom of expression and press freedom.
*Abolition of Death Penalty:* Officially abolished the death penalty in 2022 for crimes such as murder, robbery with aggravation, mutiny, and treason.
*Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act of 2023:* This act mandates at least 30% representation of women in Parliament, government ministries, local councils, the civil service, the diplomatic corps, and in private sector companies with 25 or more employees. It also extended maternity leave from 12 to 14 weeks, a llandmark achievement for women’s rights in Sierra Leone that was strongly supported by civil society, including the 50/50 Group and UN Women. *President Bio received the African HeForShe Champion of the Year 2024 and the Presidential African Intelligence Award 2024 for his leadership in promoting gender equality.*
*Mines and Minerals Development Act, 2022:* This act requires mining companies to enter into Community Development Agreements (CDAs) and allocate a portion of mining royalties to a Community Development Fund (CDF) for local projects.
*Regional Development:* Initiatives aimed at bringing development to all regions of the country, focusing on inclusivity, sustainability, and rural transformation.
*Anti-Corruption Efforts:* Significant strides in fighting corruption through legislative reforms, institutional strengthening, and public engagement.
*Food Sovereignty:* Launch of the “Feed Salone” program to revitalise the agricultural sector.
*Civic Engagement:* Strengthening civic engagement, education, and national identity through the Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MoICE), including its budget expansion to support Civic programs like the Civic Day Series and Youth Engagement in educating citizens, especially youth, on their civic rights and responsibilities and encouraging participation in democratic processes and national development, strategic Communication and Press briefings to improve transparency and public access to government information and address national issues and policy updates in real time, and landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone departments of Mass Communication, History and Political Science and Library Archive and Information Studies.
*Cabinet Diversity:* The current cabinet is notable for its inclusion of young people and women, marking a significant shift toward youth empowerment and gender equality in governance.
In recognition of these contributions and reforms, Sierra Leone was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council on June 6, 2023, for a two-year term commencing 1 January 2024, securing 188 out of 192 votes (Feel free to reproduce).
Does it mean that the US government through its embassy in S/L doesn’t know about all these developments.
Should this ban be connected to the prevalence of drugs?