Sierra Leone Seeks Stronger Rwanda Ties as Foreign Minister Meets Kagame at CHOGM
Alex Fefegula Harding Sierra Leone has signalled renewed interest in strengthening diplomatic and economic cooperation with Rwanda following a meeting between Foreign Minister Mohamed Rahman Swaray and President Paul Kagame at the 2026 Commonwealth summit.
The engagement took place during Executive Session II of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, where government leaders and senior officials gathered from Nov. 1-4 to discuss shared development priorities.
According to a report published by AYV Media, Swaray attended the meeting alongside Sierra Leone’s ministers of finance and trade. The discussions focused on strengthening relations within the Commonwealth and expanding partnerships around shared development objectives.
Swaray described the engagement as an opportunity to build stronger relationships among Commonwealth members and advance cooperation aimed at improving prosperity across participating countries, AYV reported.
The meeting comes as Sierra Leone seeks to strengthen its international partnerships and explore opportunities for cooperation in areas such as trade, investment and economic development.
The 2026 CHOGM was held under the theme Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth. The Commonwealth Secretariat identified trade, investment, climate resilience and sustainable development among the summit’s major priorities.
The encounter was reported by AYV Media in its coverage of the summit. However, the broadcaster’s report did not provide the exact date of the bilateral engagement, identify the accompanying finance and trade ministers, or disclose specific agreements reached between the two countries.
Swaray was appointed Sierra Leone’s foreign affairs minister in August 2026, according to the country’s diplomatic mission in Kuwait.