By: Amara Kargbo
In an immersive knowledge-sharing session, final-year Mass Communication students from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, engaged directly with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The visit was led by Isaac Massaquoi, Head of Department and Director at FBC, served as a critical bridge between academic study and the dynamic realities of global statecraft.
The event, held in the Ministry Conference Room on January 15, 2026, was especially timely, as the faculty introduced with the of a new “National Affairs” module. The curriculum is designed to ground students in the practical application of international relations principles, strengthening their ability to analyse real-world policy decisions and engage constructively in national and global dialogues
Minister Alhaji Timothy Musa Kabba welcomed the students as custodians of a legacy, reflecting on Fourah Bay College’s enduring stature as the “promised Athens of Africa.” He framed their presence not merely as a privilege, but as a profound responsibility. Transitioning from his own engineering background to the pinnacle of diplomacy, the Minister established a central bases; communication is the indisputable nerve centre of international relations. “To engage globally and to be an effective diplomat,” he stated, “is to be an adept communicator.” He charged the students to become masterful communicators of policy, wielding their skills to advance peace, stability, and national development.
The Minister presented a stark analysis of the contemporary world order, describing a global system undergoing profound disruption where established norms are being upended. He illustrated this with the unprecedented example of a sovereign head of state being extracted for trial in a foreign court a move he characterized as a stark breach of the UN Charter’s core principles. This turbulence, he argued, defines the arena into which the next generation of professionals must step.
Against this backdrop, he detailed the architecture of modern diplomacy: the bilateral engagements between two states and the complex multilateral forums like the United Nations. The UN, born from the ashes of World War II to steward a stable order, now faces a crisis of legitimacy and effectiveness. Here, Minister Kabba wove in Sierra Leone’s recent experience, having just commenced an elected term on the powerful UN Security Council.
Drawing from Sierra Leone’s unique perspective, a nation that transitioned from devastating civil war to sustainable development and now to a Security Council seat the Minister outlined a core mission of reforming an inequitable system. He highlighted the democratic deficit of the Council’s permanent membership, which holds veto power and excludes Africa entirely. “Africa, comprising 54 member states and nearly one-quarter of the UN’s membership, remains permanently excluded from its most influential tier,” he noted, tracing this injustice to the colonial era of the UN’s founding in 1945.
He reiterated the Common African Position, first articulated in 2005, which demands equitable representation for Africa in both permanent and non-permanent categories. This reform, he stressed, is essential for the Council’s legitimacy and effectiveness, especially when a significant portion of its agenda concerns the African continent.
Contrasting past with present, Minister Kabba lamented the decayed power of UN sanctions, once a potent tool for preventive diplomacy. He cited the comprehensive embargo on Sierra Leone in 1997, which isolated the nation and precipitated internal anarchy, as proof of their historical potency. Today, such measures are frequently circumvented, reflecting a wider landscape where international law is abrogated and impunity reigns.
“In such a world,” he posed, “how does a nation like Sierra Leone sail through these unsettled and dangerous waters?” His answer outlined a foreign policy of principled non-alignment. “We are neither American, British, Chinese, Russian, nor Brazilian. We are Sierra Leonean,” he declared, committing to engage all partners with mutual respect on the basis of shared interests, while acknowledging differing values.
Connecting history to current responsibility, the Minister recounted Sierra Leone’s principled entry into the UN in 1961, quoting first Prime Minister Sir Milton Margai’s vow to raise a “principled voice” for global peace. This legacy, he argued, underpins the nation’s respected international presence and its recent election to the Security Council with overwhelming support (188 out of 193 votes).
He detailed the Council’s consequential mechanics where nine votes are needed to pass a resolution, but any one of the five permanent members can veto it and underscored its unique power to issue legally binding decisions. Reflecting on Sierra Leone’s own history, he credited a past Security Council resolution for authorizing UNAMSIL, the large UN peacekeeping mission that was instrumental in ending the country’s civil war. Furthermore, he highlighted how Council dynamics have shaped national history, noting how a 1971 vote on China’s representation directly led to the establishment of Sierra Leone’s diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China and significant subsequent development partnership.
Minister Kabba returned his focus to the students, the future communicators at the nerve centre of global affairs. He tasked them with mastering their craft to navigate this complex, contested, and transformative era, reminding them that their voices and skills will be essential in advancing their nation’s interests and principles on the world stage.
Aminata Kamara, a student thanked the Minister for his insights. She also made a quiet appeal, sharing the students’ concern over meagre internet access and limited technological resources. which she explained, isolates them from the perspectives of other national institutions and slows the overall progress of education in the country. Kamara also highlighted the defunct state of their television educational platform, which once hosted international lecturers. To address this gap, the students earnestly requested the Minister’s assistance.
