By Musa Paul Feika
The recently sacked Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr. Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba, has formally handed over the affairs of the ministry to his successor, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, bringing to an end his three year tenure at the helm of Sierra Leone’s foreign policy establishment.
The handover ceremony, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, on Monday 17th August, 2026, marked a significant transition as Mr. Kabba moves on to another national responsibility, while Minister Swaray assumes leadership of the ministry with a pledge to consolidate Sierra Leone’s diplomatic gains and strengthen the country’s international partnerships.
In his farewell address, Mr. Kabba said his tenure began in August 2023, shortly after the general elections, at a time when the country was facing a number of political and national challenges.
He expressed gratitude to President Julius Maada Bio for entrusting him with the responsibility of serving as Foreign Minister for three years, following earlier appointments as Director General of Petroleum and Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources.
Mr. Kabba described his tenure as one characterized by what he called significant diplomatic achievements, particularly Sierra Leone’s return to the United Nations Security Council after more than five decades.
He said Sierra Leone not only served on the Council but also assumed the rotating presidency of the body during its tenure, giving the country an opportunity to influence international discussions on peace and security.
The outgoing minister also highlighted Sierra Leone’s role within ECOWAS, including the country’s assumption of the chairmanship of the Authority of Heads of State and Government.
According to Kabba, the country’s leadership role within the regional bloc culminated in Sierra Leone hosting a major ECOWAS summit in Freetown.
He further pointed to Sierra Leone’s successful election to the African Union Peace and Security Council and its role in advancing the common African position on reform of the United Nations Security Council.
Mr. Kabba said Sierra Leone had also expanded its diplomatic footprint during his tenure through the establishment and reopening of diplomatic missions.
He cited the reopening of Sierra Leone’s embassy in France, as well as the establishment of embassies in Algeria, Ireland and Qatar.
He also noted the establishment or re-establishment of diplomatic missions in Sierra Leone by several foreign countries, including Iceland, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Russia.
According to him, Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates were also preparing to establish diplomatic missions in Freetown.
“These are testament to the visionary leadership of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio,” Kabba said, emphasizing that the administration’s foreign policy was designed to protect Sierra Leone’s national interests while expanding the country’s international partnerships.
Beyond diplomatic representation, Kabba said the ministry had made progress on infrastructure for Sierra Leone’s overseas missions.
He disclosed that a new chancellery building was under construction and approximately 70 percent complete, while rehabilitation works on Sierra Leone’s diplomatic property in Germany had reached about 90 percent completion.
On multilateral diplomacy, Kabba highlighted Sierra Leone’s coordination of the Committee of Ten, or C-10, which is responsible for advancing Africa’s common position on reform of the UN Security Council.
He said Sierra Leone had presented an African reform model to the Intergovernmental Negotiations process at the United Nations, reinforcing Africa’s longstanding demand for greater representation on the Security Council.
Mr. Kabba also disclosed that Sierra Leone had secured important regional positions, including a senior ECOWAS position for his outgoing deputy minister, who is set to take responsibility for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.
He also cited the appointment of former Electoral Commission Chairman Mohamed Kenewui Konneh as an ECOWAS Resident Representative.
The outgoing minister further referred to Sierra Leone’s international candidatures, including the bid of Professor Abdulai O. Conteh Jalloh for a seat at the International Court of Justice and Ambassador Andrew Bangali’s candidature for an international civil service position.
He wished both candidates success in the forthcoming elections.
Mr. Kabba, however, acknowledged that the international environment facing his successor remains challenging, pointing to conflicts, coups and unconstitutional changes of government, climate change, violent extremism and insecurity across West Africa.
He urged the incoming minister to build on the foundation already established rather than start afresh.
In his response, incoming Foreign Minister Mohamed Rahman Swaray accepted the responsibility with humility and pledged to consolidate the achievements of his predecessor.
Mr. Swaray thanked President Bio for the confidence placed in him and praised Kabba for what he described as significant diplomatic gains achieved during his tenure.
He specifically cited Sierra Leone’s return to the UN Security Council, its role in ECOWAS, and the hosting of the regional summit as achievements that provide a strong foundation for the ministry.
“My task is therefore not to start afresh, but to consolidate these achievements, deepen our partnerships, and take Sierra Leone’s diplomacy to the next higher level,” Swaray said.
He also paid tribute to Kabba personally, describing him as a brother and assuring him that he would continue to seek his guidance as he settles into his new role.
Minister Swaray jokingly acknowledged that while Kabba had given him opportunities to serve as caretaker minister during his absence, there was one area in which he would still need his predecessor’s assistance, language skills.
The ceremony also featured a farewell message from the ministry’s senior management, which commended Kabba and outgoing Deputy Minister for their service and wished them success in their new assignments.
The ministry’s management pledged its support to Minister Swaray and promised to work with him to advance Sierra Leone’s foreign policy objectives, strengthen bilateral and multilateral relations, and protect the country’s national interests.
The transition formally closes Kabba’s three year chapter at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and opens a new phase under incoming Minister Swaray, who now faces the task of navigating Sierra Leone’s foreign policy through an increasingly complex regional and global environment.