Vol 66 No 3

Published 7th February 2025

President Bio keeps cocaine lord in the family

7 Feb 2025

PREVIEW

One of Europe’s most wanted criminals is the partner of one of the President’s daughters and has transferred his operations to Freetown. An Africa Confidential Special Report By Josef Skrdlik and Andrew Weir

Read this Special Report for free here: President Bio keeps cocaine lord in the family

Prepared for Free Article on 28/12/2025 at 16:52. Authorized users may download, save, and print articles for their own use, but may not further disseminate these articles in their electronic form without express written permission from Africa Confidential / Asempa Limited. Contact subscriptions@africa-confidential.com.

Vol 66 No 10 |

SIERRA LEONE

First Lady under fire

16th May 2025

President Julius Maada Bio’s wife, Fatima Maada Bio, has bought a string of luxury properties in the Gambia worth over US$2 million since 2020, according to an investigation...

Vol 54 No 6 |

SIERRA LEONE

Groans about growth

15th March 2013

The increasing flow of ore exports is good for foreign companies and GDP figures but government revenue from mining is low and poorly handled

Last year was not the year it was meant to be for Sierra Leone’s economy. The International Monetary Fund initially predicted growth at a staggering 51.4%. As the...

Vol 54 No 23 |

SIERRA LEONE

Angry Koroma lashes out at the press

11th November 2013

Amidst growing intolerance of dissent, police threw two journalists into prison after the President took offence at a newspaper article

The biggest media crackdown since the civil war ended in 2002 is underway in Sierra Leone. Two editors of the Independent Observer newspaper, Jonathan Leigh and Bai Bai...

Vol 66 No 16 |

SIERRA LEONE
MINING

Koidu diamond mine shuts indefinitely as managers clash with First Lady

30th July 2025

Government is silent after allies of mining mogul Beny Steinmetz accuse it of political meddling and say they’ve run out of cash

After an ugly fight with President Julius Maada Bio’s government over working conditions and back pay, Chief Executive of Koidu Limited, Dag Cramer is closing the country’s richest...

Vol 59 No 5 |

SIERRA LEONE

Flights of fancy

9th March 2018

President Ernest Bai Koroma officially launched the Mamamah international airport project and associated 'airport city' for Freetown on 2 March, just in time to boost the prospects of...

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