By: Saidu Jalloh
The National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Centre of Sierra Leone (NEWRMC-SL) on Wednesday launched activities to commemorate its fifth anniversary with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC), the unveiling of a new institutional logo, and a renewed commitment to strengthening peace, security, and early warning systems across the country.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Executive Director of NEWRMC-SL said the institution was established through an Executive Order signed by President Julius Maada Bio on June 29, 2020, and was officially inaugurated on September 13, 2021. She noted that the Centre has since been strengthened through an Act of Parliament, providing it with a solid legal mandate to carry out its responsibilities.
She described the fifth anniversary as a significant milestone in the institution’s growth, stating that NEWRMC-SL has evolved into a key pillar of Sierra Leone’s peace and security architecture. She also expressed appreciation to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), development partners, and other stakeholders for their continued support over the past five years, describing the ICPNC as one of the Centre’s longstanding strategic partners.
The ECOWAS Resident Representative to Sierra Leone, Ambassador John Azumah, commended the Centre for its contribution to promoting human security, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding. He joined the Minister of State in the Office of the Vice President and the Minister of Planning and Economic Development in unveiling the Centre’s new institutional logo.
Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Kenyeh Barlay, emphasized that peace remains the foundation of Sierra Leone’s development agenda, stressing that sustainable development cannot be achieved without lasting peace. She noted that peacebuilding is embedded in both the country’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) and the Government’s Big Five Game Changers agenda. She further commended the leadership and staff of NEWRMC-SL for their professionalism, dedication, and commitment to safeguarding national stability.
Delivering the keynote address, the Minister of State in the Office of the Vice President, Manty Tarawalli, highlighted the Centre’s achievements over the past five years. She disclosed that NEWRMC-SL has produced more than 224 analytical reports, including 19 Early Warning Alerts, six Situation Reports, and over 760 policy recommendations designed to support timely government decision-making and early response mechanisms.
Tarawalli revealed that between 2021 and 2025, the Centre consistently generated analytical reports covering critical issues such as security, governance, human rights, environmental protection, crime, and public health. During the period, it issued alerts on border tensions, communal violence, food insecurity, counterfeit medicines, economic instability, election-related tensions, and regional conflicts.
She further disclosed that NEWRMC-SL prepared six Situation Reports in response to major national emergencies, including the Wellington fuel tanker explosion, the 2022 Freetown floods, developments along the Sierra Leone–Guinea border, the November 2023 military armoury breach, environmental hazards, and the growing challenge of unregulated borehole and well construction.
According to the Minister, the Centre generated 528 policy recommendations between 2023 and 2025, many of which informed key government interventions. These included strengthened protection of critical national infrastructure, the establishment of a Food Safety Task Force, enhanced disease surveillance, joint border patrols, environmental protection initiatives, and community-based conflict resolution measures.
Tarawalli also revealed that NEWRMC-SL deployed 15 field monitors during Sierra Leone’s June 2023 General Elections and operated a 24-hour Situation Room that supported real-time reporting, early response, and violence prevention throughout the electoral process.
She noted that the Centre has significantly enhanced its operational capacity through continuous staff training, investment in modern information and communication technology infrastructure, and sustained support from ECOWAS, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the Government of Sierra Leone.
The Minister further stated that the enactment of the National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Centre Act in 2025 marked a major milestone by providing the institution with a stronger legal framework and ensuring its long-term sustainability.
She added that ECOWAS recognized NEWRMC-SL as one of the leading Anglophone early warning centres in West Africa in both 2023 and 2024, with the institution now serving as a model for experience-sharing and the exchange of best practices among member states.
Officials disclosed that despite funding and operational challenges, the Centre has collaborated with more than 120 national and international institutions over the past five years to advance peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and national resilience.
The ceremony concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between NEWRMC-SL and the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion, a partnership expected to strengthen collaboration in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and the promotion of national cohesion throughout Sierra Leone.