VP Jalloh Highlights Progress of Feed Salone Initiative

Civil war, the Ebola epidemic, COVID… After a series of crises that significantly slowed Sierra Leone’s development, the country—currently under an IMF program—has implemented a set of reforms that have enabled it to achieve growth exceeding 4%, and reduce inflation.

Sierra Leone will be honored at the Africa Forward summit in Nairobi as an example of renewed relations with Africa, as envisioned by the French Presidency. However, food insecurity remains very high, and the war in Iran is increasing costs for the country, potentially creating new pressure on its debt.

Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, is the featured guest in this Africa interview conducted before the events of April 25 in Mali.

He responds to questions from Charlotte Cosset.

RFI: Food security is a major issue in Sierra Leone. More than half of the population still suffers from food insecurity. What concrete initiatives has your government taken?

Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh: The government’s flagship project is “Feed Sierra Leone.” It is a program to develop agriculture with three main objectives. The first is to achieve food self-sufficiency, and we have already made significant progress. We have reduced imports in recent years and expanded the manufacturing sector. For example, within the next two or three years, I believe Sierra Leone will no longer need to import onions.

We have also increased domestic rice production and made substantial progress in agro-processing. Thanks to Jolaks—an agro-industrial company producing palm oil and soap, financed by Proparco with €20 million—Sierra Leone is now even exporting vegetable oil to countries such as Mali and Senegal. This aligns with President Maada Bio’s key objective of achieving self-sufficiency. It will also have an impact on job creation. We are doing a lot in this area.

What is still lacking? What is needed to move further forward?

We need to build infrastructure—roads connecting agricultural areas and access to markets. In this context, last July I was in Paris for follow-up discussions because President Maada Bio specifically asked President Macron how France could support Sierra Leone in agriculture. Another important area is energy.

Before 2019, electricity access in Sierra Leone was between 16–18%. Today, it has increased to 34%, which is still insufficient. We have a series of projects aimed at increasing access to 80% by 2030. This will transform agricultural zones, processing, and agribusiness.

You mentioned relations with France. In mid-May, the Africa Forward summit will take place in Nairobi. France is not a traditional partner of Sierra Leone. What do you expect today from a partner like France?

A lot. On a personal note, I told French authorities in 2018: when you have a small African country where the Vice President studied in Bordeaux and the President received military training in France, that already creates a link. The question is how to turn that into a real strategic partnership to support Sierra Leone’s development. I am also pleased that in early 2020, France opened a diplomatic office here. It is expanding in all areas: diplomatic, economic, and security. This has also been discussed between President Julius Maada Bio and President Macron, and we are making progress.

In November [2025], I was in Paris working with France. Sierra Leone is ready to send two companies to Haiti. The United Nations has already sent us a letter. We will deploy 300 troops to Haiti to support security operations there. On the security front, I also visited the International Academy for Counter-Terrorism in Abidjan, supported by France. This year, Sierra Leone will send six officers there. The goal is to eventually establish an international peacekeeping training center. We will begin with our experience in Haiti, and I hope it will succeed.

France has shifted its economic policy, promoting a “win-win” approach—aid in exchange for market opportunities for French companies. What do you think of this shift?

I am very pleased with it, because it is important today. The global economy is changing, development aid is decreasing, and the priorities of major partners and international institutions are shifting. We can no longer rely solely on development aid. As Africans, we must create opportunities to attract Western investment into our countries, because that is sustainable and long-term. It will help create opportunities for young people, generate jobs, improve our economies, and make us more competitive. That will change the game.

You mentioned the war in the Middle East, which is having global economic impacts. How is Sierra Leone coping?

Yes, indeed. We have seen fuel prices increase, electricity costs rise, and food prices go up. This also affects transportation—both maritime and local. We have introduced subsidies on fuel, electricity, and local transport because we cannot pass these increases directly on to consumers. Previously, transporting a bag of rice to the regions cost 20 leones; now it costs 50 leones—more than a 50% increase in local transport costs alone. We hope the situation stabilizes, otherwise it will be very difficult. It will significantly affect small economies like Sierra Leone.

What room for maneuver do you have? The IMF does not recommend subsidies because they strain state finances. Do you have a funding plan to compensate?

Yes. We are in discussions with partners, including the IMF and the World Bank. We are reviewing existing projects to identify funding windows that can be used for subsidies. At the same time, we have taken internal measures to reduce costs, such as limiting fuel usage and reducing official travel. We are also continuing discussions with partners. A large World Bank delegation is currently here, and this will be one of the key topics on the agenda.

President Julius Maada Bio currently chairs ECOWAS and faces the challenge of the AES countries leaving the organization. How is the situation evolving?

The situation is very serious. The Sahel is facing major stability challenges, which concern us, because they are beginning to affect neighboring countries. For example, Côte d’Ivoire is seeing an influx of people from Burkina Faso and Mali, putting pressure on social infrastructure. The same applies to Guinea. Our goal is to engage. President Maada Bio has already visited Mali and Burkina Faso twice. We are in discussions. He has proposed what he calls a stability pact. We are telling them: you are part of this family, and we want to see you return.

Is the message being heard?

We will continue to engage. Personally, I am in contact with leaders from those countries. I previously worked in Mali as a Sahel advisor to the UN Special Representative, so I know the actors. They are colleagues who studied in France and are now ministers. They are our brothers. It is in our interest to bring them back and work together. Regional integration is the only way to address the region’s stability challenges.

There was talk of creating a counter-terrorism brigade. What would it look like and when could it happen?

President Maada Bio will propose a stability pact to Sahel countries. It will begin with discussions on how to address shared security challenges, how to support AES countries, and how to help them tackle stability issues. In the long term, we must also discuss a possible return to constitutional order, which is crucial for reshaping the political landscape and reopening opportunities with ECOWAS and the African Union. We cannot imagine Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—founding members of ECOWAS—leaving permanently. We are waiting for them, and not just waiting—we will actively work to bring them back.