By: Saidu Jalloh
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Rtd. AIG Morie Lengor Esq., has joined regional leaders and international partners in Accra, Ghana, for a high-level conference aimed at strengthening West Africa’s collective response to the rapidly expanding synthetic and cocaine drug markets.
The Minister attended the High-Level Regional Conference on “Mapping the Future of Drug Markets in West Africa: Synthetic, Cocaine, Criminal Money and Strategic Response,” held from 27-28 November 2025 in Accra. The gathering convened by the Governments of the Netherlands and Ghana together with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime marked a significant step toward uniting regional governments and multi-sector stakeholders to develop more coordinated strategies against the surge in synthetic drugs and cocaine trafficking across West Africa.
The conference sought to build coalitions capable of confronting what organisers described as an urgent health, security, and human rights challenge posed by evolving drug markets and their increasing impact on communities in the sub-region.
Delivering one of the keynote addresses, Minister Lengor conveyed warm greetings from His Excellency President Brig. Rtd. Julius Maada Bio and from the Government and people of Sierra Leone. He expressed appreciation to the organisers and to the Government of Ghana for its hospitality, and extended condolences to the people of Ghana following the passing of former First Lady, Mrs. Rawlings.
The Minister highlighted Sierra Leone’s current struggle with a severe synthetic drug crisis, noting that kush has become the most urgent national concern requiring immediate, coordinated action both domestically and internationally.
Minister Lengor outlined four key national priorities for addressing drug markets in Sierra Leone. Reviewing the National Drug Control Act 2008 to align it with modern, evidence-based standards. Implementing the NDLEA Strategic Master Plan to strengthen enforcement and institutional capacity. Regulating and expanding treatment and rehabilitation facilities nationwide. Reinforcing community-based harm reduction programmes to better support affected populations.
He stressed that mobilising local and international technical and financial support remains critical to achieving these objectives. He also called on UNODC West Africa and the West Africa Coast Initiative (WACI) to reinstate their programmes in Sierra Leone.
Following his presentation, Minister Lengor held a strategic bilateral meeting with key international partners to bolster support and enhance cooperation in combating the synthetic drug threat. Representatives from the British High Commission in Ghana, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the Dutch Department of Justice participated in the discussions.
The meeting focused on strengthening intelligence sharing to disrupt transnational trafficking networks, enhancing capacity-building efforts, and securing technical assistance for Sierra Leone’s drug enforcement institutions, particularly in the implementation of the NDLEA’s strategic plan.
The Minister was accompanied by the Deputy Executive Director of the NDLEA, Mr. Prince Bull Luseni; AIG Sylvester Koroma, Regional Commander SLP Freetown-West; Abubakar Kamara, Senior Director of Ports and Harbour Authority at the NRA; and Ahmed J. M. Bockarie Esq., Principal State Counsel at the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice. All members of the delegation provided valuable technical input throughout the engagements.