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The Inspector General of Police (IGP), William Fayia Sellu, received a delegation from Expertise France and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Task Force Secretariat at the Senior Police Officers’ Mess, Kingtom, Freetown, on Friday, 29th May 2026.
To discuss collaborative efforts aimed at combating human trafficking in Sierra Leone and across the wider Gulf of Guinea region.
The meeting formed part of the official visit of Mr Modeste Krah, Regional Project Manager of the PROTECT Project at Expertise France, who visited Sierra Leone from 25th to 29th May 2026.
Expertise France is the French Technical Development Agency currently implementing the regional PROTECT Project, which focuses on addressing human trafficking across the Gulf of Guinea region.
Giving an overview of the programme, Mr Krah disclosed that the PROTECT Project for the Gulf of Guinea region is funded by the French Development Agency (AFD). He explained that the project covers five African countries, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Benin, Nigeria, and Togo, with additional cooperation expected from Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana.
According to Mr Krah, the initiative seeks to strengthen the capacity of institutions to effectively combat human trafficking through prevention, victim protection, and enhanced regional and bilateral cooperation.
He further noted that the programme focuses on strengthening the criminal justice system by supporting the processes of detection, investigation, prosecution, and conviction of trafficking offenders. He emphasised the importance of engaging key stakeholders, promoting community awareness, and improving support services for victims and survivors of human trafficking.
Mr Krah also stated that the project aims to improve cross-border collaboration among participating countries through information sharing on border management, victim identification, and investigations linked to transnational organised crime. He highlighted data management as one of the major challenges affecting the fight against human trafficking across the region.
He added that the programme intends to work closely with state institutions to ensure that gender considerations and survivor-centred approaches are fully integrated into anti-human trafficking interventions.
Responding, IGP Sellu welcomed the delegation and expressed appreciation for the initiative. He noted that the Sierra Leone Police already have structures such as the Transnational Organised Crime Unit, INTERPOL, and the Family Support Unit, all of which are actively engaged in addressing issues relating to human trafficking.
He emphasised that collaboration and coordination among institutions remain critical in combating human trafficking, describing the crime as a serious threat that requires collective action from all stakeholders.
“Let there be stronger sanctions and penalties for anyone found involved in human trafficking,” IGP Sellu stated, while reaffirming the commitment of the Sierra Leone Police to work closely with national and international partners in the fight against the crime.
He described the proposed training and capacity-building support for police officers as timely and necessary, particularly in strengthening officers’ skills in detection, identification, investigation, prosecution, and securing convictions in trafficking cases.
IGP Sellu further reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the Sierra Leone Police to collaborate with all relevant agencies and partners in achieving the common goal of eradicating human trafficking in Sierra Leone and across the sub-region.
Finally, the delegation included Dehunge Shiaka, Executive Director of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Task Force Secretariat; Umaru Fofanah, National Coordinator for Expertise France in Sierra Leone; and Modeste Krah, Regional Project Manager of the PROTECT Human Trafficking Project.
