By Amin Kef Sesay
The Ambassador of Serbia to Nigeria accredited to Sierra Leone, Djura Likra, Ambassador of Indonesia to Senegal accredited to Sierra Leone, Dindin Wahyundin, High Commissioner of Zambia to Ghana accredited to Sierra Leone, Richard Mwanza and Ambassador of Jamaica to Nigeria accredited to Sierra Leone, Esmond St. C Reid have presented their letters of credence to His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio.
Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Sierra Leone were established in 1961, immediately after gaining independence. The sincere friendship that ties the two States was forged precisely 60 years ago and based on the principles and joint activity within the non-aligned movement. Both countries have continued to develop in all areas of common interests.
Diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Sierra Leone opened in November 1994 in areas of the economy, trade and culture. The Southeast Asian country has provided scholarships to many Sierra Leoneans in diverse fields of study.
The relationship between Sierra Leone and Jamaica can be traced as far back as during the slave trade with settlement in Freetown in 1792 for the resettlement of the African Americans who had arrived via Nova Scotia after they had been evacuated from the United States. Some of the Maroons eventually returned to Jamaica but most became part of the larger Sierra Leone Creole people and culture made up of freemen and liberated slaves.
Diplomatic relations between Sierra Leone and the Republic of Zambia can be traced to those years of independence in Africa. As part of the strong ties between both countries a contingent of 800 Zambian soldiers was part of the UN peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone in the 2000s.
