Sierra Leone urged recalled diplomats to return home within 90 Days

Alhaji M. B. Jalloh: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 30 April 2020:

Sierra Leone has set a deadline for  all its recalled diplomats who are still abroad to report at the Foreign Ministry in Freetwon on or before 31st July, 2020, according to a circular from the Office of the  Director General, Mrs. Florence Bangalie. (Photo above: Foreign Minister – Nabeela Tunis).

The circular doesn’t say how the recalled diplomats will leave their posts for Freetown, as all flights to the country are suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. But a senior official at the ministry says:  “We hope passenger flights will resume operation to Sierra Leone not too far from now, otherwise we will look out for a solution for their repatriation.”

The recalled diplomats include,  Heads of Chancery, First and Second Secretaries who had served over four years at post in the United States, Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa.

He also disclosed that under the new Director General, an internal posting has been done at the Ministry, and all affected officers  have been asked to collaborate with the Ministry for their respective schedule of duties.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Solomon Jamiru  (Photo), who doubles as the Spokesman for the COVID – 19 Response Team,  has urged all staffers at Sierra Leone Missions abroad to perform their duties with utmost caution.

“We are requesting all diplomatic and locally employed staff working in Sierra Leone Missions to strictly follow the COVID – 19 related health guidelines”, the Deputy Minister told me on the telephone line from Freetown last night.

His advice came few days after a British diplomat who had contracted the deadly coronavirus died in Hungary.

The British Foreign Office in London confirmed the death of Steven Dick, the Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Budapest a few days ago. It is unclear whether the Scot  had any underlying health conditions.

Reports also say that some diplomats have also tested positive for the novel coronavirus in their respective Missions.

But Sierra Leone diplomats are safe and sound in their respective stations for now, another senior ministry official said.

4 Comments

  1. I thought a Cyberattacker was trying to enter port 2023 of my political strategy. Too late Mr. cyberenforcer. For now, Mr. cyberenforcer will be ignored because, it’s easy for me to find out his intrusion details and block him with all his cybermagic from entering port 2023. Just another victim of our 2023 election anxiety strategy. Can you imagine? I hope he does not present himself next time around as Mr. cyberenforcer 2. Hear Mr. cyberenforcer, somewhere on planet earth telling me about Mr cyberenforcer magician. God help Mr cyberenforcer to enforce his cyber magic elsewhere.

  2. Level headed administrators think and act strategically. I know Mama Bangalore and Minister Solo. They are our parishioners and very instrumental in promoting laudable causes in the parish. Their Catholicism have influenced their National service, to a very large extent. We shall continue to pray for them.

  3. Let them keep hoping endlessly with Coronavirus pandemic everywhere indeed. This is what happens when you bring revenge to politics. Coronavirus aside, chaos and poor decision making will never end regarding this matter. All this diplomatic revenge repatriation chaos, started when this Administration took over and will continue to be like that in the future. An APC lead Administration in 2023 will not behave like that. They will make sure that a smooth transition takes place. Just read this – “We hope passenger flights will resume operation to Sierra Leone not too far from now, otherwise we will look out for a solution for their repatriation”.

    When you hear such comments, tells you how some of our government officials have no clue about what is going on globally in terms of air travel.. They just talk. With the unpredictable Coronavirus flexing its contagious muscles everyday, bad economy, corruption at the door steps of State House, no airforce aircrafts, no Sierra Leone airlines and no Sierra Leone Airlines jets to bring our fellow citizens back home, they keep talking empty bluff. Can you imagine? Not impressive and disappointing stuff. God help remove chaos from our foreign policy decision making.

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