Sierra Leone-Iran Foreign Relations

Military/Diplomatic Relations

Senior officials from Sierra Leone met with Iranian officials, including then President Mohammad Khatami, in 2005 to encourage deeper bilateral ties between Sierra Leone and Iran.[1] Their meeting produced multiple cooperation agreements involving political and trade relations between Iran and Sierra Leone.[2]

In December 2009, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Andrew Bangali met with the Iranian Ambassador to Addis Ababa and Permanent Representative to the Africa Union Commission, Mohammad Javad Zamanian. The two diplomats discussed issues of Iran-Africa cooperation and prepared for the December 16th Iranian delegation meeting with Members of the Commission’s Sub-Committee on Multilateral Cooperation in Ethiopia.[3] Ambassador Bangali, also Sierra Leone’s Permanent Representative to the AU and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, stated that the two countries have excellent bilateral ties, saying that: “Africa is not opposed to entering into a partnership with Iran as long as it is done through the right way.”[4]Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Javad Zamanian mentioned that his country maintains good relations with Non-Aligned countries and countries that are members of the Organization of Islamic Countries.[5] He explained that Iran’s aim in furthering its relations with African countries is to promote cooperation with Africa and implement development assistance programs in the continent through the AU.[6]

[Click here for more information on the Non-Aligned Movement.]