LATF Engages Sierra Leone on Strengthening Regional Cooperation Against Wildlife and Forest Crime in West Africa

Freetown, Sierra Leone | 15–16 October 2026

LATF held high-level engagements with the Government of Sierra Leone in Freetown on 15–16 October 2026, meeting with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Jiwoh Emmanuel Abdulai; Director of Forests, Madam Kate Garnett and senior officials of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA). The deliberations focused on strengthening regional cooperation against transboundary wildlife and forest crime and exploring the potential value of Sierra Leone’s accession to the Lusaka Agreement.

Hon. Jiwoh Abdulai, Minister of Environment and Climate Change (centre), with Madam Kate Garnet, Director of Forests, other officials from the Ministry and Directorate of Forests, the President of the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (far right), and the Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF) delegation.

LATF with officials of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and President of the Conservation Society (Far left) of Sierra Leone

During its mission to Sierra Leone, LATF met with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to discuss the potential benefits of Sierra Leone acceding to the Lusaka Agreement and strengthening regional cooperation against transnational wildlife and forest crime. The discussions highlighted the Agreement’s role in facilitating intelligence sharing, cooperative investigations, specialized law enforcement training and coordinated enforcement across national borders.

LATF also shared its operational experience, having supported enforcement activities resulting in the arrest and prosecution of more than 900 offenders and, in collaboration with partners, built the capacity of over 1,200 law-enforcement and judicial officers since its establishment in 1999.

The engagements identified further dialogue with relevant Sierra Leonean institutions as an important next step towards assessing a possible accession pathway. LATF also invited Sierra Leone to consider participating in its proposed 2027 Anglophone West Africa programme, which aims to strengthen policy dialogue, multi-agency capacity and practical cooperation among Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. A proposed follow-on operational engagement would focus on intelligence sharing, investigations, evidence management, border controls and coordinated enforcement.

Discussions further explored opportunities to extend regional engagement to Francophone countries, including Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire, to strengthen cross-border cooperation and promote wider participation in the Lusaka Agreement.

LATF also presented its proposed Regional Wildlife Security Command-and-Control Centre (RCCC), supported by Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), which aims to enhance secure information exchange, digital interoperability, intelligence analysis and coordinated, intelligence-led operations among wildlife and forest law-enforcement institutions.

Overall, the mission advanced dialogue on Sierra Leone’s potential accession, identified opportunities for its participation in planned regional initiatives, and strengthened the basis for continued engagement with national and regional partners.

These efforts form part of LATF’s broader strategy to expand its presence in West Africa and build a more connected and coordinated African response to transboundary wildlife and forest crime. Through continued dialogue and collaboration, LATF seeks to support a more coordinated regional response that protects biodiversity, strengthens environmental governance and improves collective action against wildlife and forest crime.