Eddie Hanson, a Sierra Leonean, has been appointed the first black deputy mayor of Camden, London in England on Wednesday 15 May 2024 at the Annual General Meeting of the Council.

Hanson fled Sierra Leone as a refugee, escaping the devastating eleven-year civil war that claimed thousands of lives. In May 2022, he was elected as a councillor, being a member of the UK Labour Party, CEO of The Game Changers UK, and a former cabinet adviser.

Reflecting on his past, he shared: “I was just a child when the war broke out in Sierra Leone. I was abducted by a militia and taken away for a long time. As a child in war, you live in constant uncertainty, not knowing if you’ll see the next day, or if your family will be harmed,”

He continued, explaining that his brother perished in the Sierra Leone conflict, and like many others, sought refuge in the UK. Today, he expressed gratitude and relief for being among the survivors who found safety in the UK.