Sierra Leone Calls for Action-Oriented Russia–Africa Partnership at Cairo Ministerial Conference.

Cairo, Egypt: 21 December 2025

Sierra Leone has called for a decisive shift from diplomatic declarations to concrete development outcomes in the evolving Russia–Africa partnership, as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mrs. Francess Piagie Alghali addressed the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum in Cairo.

Reinforcing President Dr. Julius Maada Bio's Message, the Deputy Minister, described the conference as a critical moment for translating shared political vision into shared prosperity, urging partners to anchor cooperation in tangible investments, technology transfer, and institutional reform.

The two-day ministerial meeting, hosted by the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt, brought together African foreign ministers and senior Russian officials, including Egypt’s Foreign Minister Mr. Badr Abdelatty and Russia’s Foreign Minister Mr. Sergey Lavrov. The gathering builds on the outcomes of earlier Russia–Africa engagements, including the first ministerial conference held in Sochi and the two Russia–Africa Summits in Sochi and St. Petersburg.

Mrs. Alghali emphasized that hosting the forum on African soil carried deep symbolic significance, underscoring Africa’s growing agency and ownership in shaping the contours of its global partnerships. She described the Cairo conference as a testament to the endurance of Russia–Africa relations at a time of global uncertainty, geopolitical realignments, and pressing development challenges.

“Africa is no longer a peripheral actor in global affairs,” she noted, highlighting the continent’s youthful population, resource endowment, and cultural vitality. At the same time, she acknowledged persistent challenges, including conflict, food insecurity, health vulnerabilities, and limited economic diversification, which she said requires practical and mutually beneficial international cooperation.

Positioning Sierra Leone as an advocate of development-focused engagement, the Deputy Minister stressed that the country views the Russia–Africa partnership not merely as a geopolitical counterweight, but as a potential driver of structural economic transformation. She called for a recalibration of economic relations toward value addition, local job creation, and skills transfer.

In this regard, Mrs. Alghali invited Russian state-owned and private enterprises to explore investment opportunities aligned with Sierra Leone’s national development priorities, particularly the Government’s “Big Five” agenda. She singled out agriculture, human capital development, and energy as sectors with significant potential for collaboration, noting Russia’s global expertise in mechanized farming, fertilizer production, and energy infrastructure.

Beyond economic cooperation, the Deputy Minister used the platform to reiterate Africa’s long-standing demand for reform of the United Nations Security Council. Underscoring Sierra Leone’s role as Coordinator of the African Union Committee of Ten (C-10), she described the current global governance architecture as historically unjust to Africa.

While acknowledging Russia’s support for Africa’s permanent representation on the Security Council, she urged Moscow to intensify its advocacy for the Common African Position as stated in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, emphasizing that a partnership of equals must be reflected in reformed international institutions that mirror contemporary global realities.

Mrs. Alghali also welcomed the planned reopening of the Russian Embassy in Freetown, describing it as a significant diplomatic milestone that enhances engagement and deepens bilateral relations between the two countries.

In concluding her address, the Deputy Minister called on delegates to ensure that the Cairo conference would be remembered not for rhetoric but for results. She reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s readiness to work with Russia and African states to translate political commitments into tangible development outcomes that directly improve the lives of citizens.

Finally, as Russia and Africa continue to redefine their partnership in an increasingly multipolar world, Sierra Leone’s intervention in Cairo underscored a clear message: the era of dialogue must now give way to inclusive and action-oriented cooperation.

By Mohamed B. Kallon

Information Attaché

Sierra Leone Embassy in Cairo, the Arab Republic of Egypt

mbkallon2020@gmail.com

+201104336127