Freetown, April 15, 2025 (SLENA) — The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Sierra Leone, Jens Kraus-Masse, on Tuesday held an exclusive engagement with the Minister of Public Administration and Political Affairs (MoPAPA), Hon. Amara Kallon, and Sara Hamouda, Coordinator of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Continental Secretariat.
The meeting, held on the 9th Floor of the Youyi Building, focused on the upcoming Third High-Level South-South and Triangular Cooperation Forum, which will be held in Sierra Leone from May 7 to 9, 2025. This marks the first time the country will host the prestigious event.
Welcoming Ambassador Kraus-Masse, Minister Kallon emphasised the government’s ongoing efforts to reform the public service and enhance service delivery. He highlighted MoPAPA’s mandate since its establishment in 2023, noting its pivotal role in transforming governance through strategic collaboration with institutions like the APRM.
“Our commitment remains firm to reposition the public sector to be more responsive, inclusive, and efficient,” the Minister noted, the importance of human, technical, and financial support in achieving these reforms.
Sara Hamouda, speaking on behalf of the APRM Continental Secretariat, provided background on the South-South Cooperation Forum. She noted that the initiative emerged from intensified collaboration between APRM and UN agencies, driven by the recognition that Africa lacked a dedicated platform to address South-South and Triangular Cooperation.
“The Forum is not just a dialogue space but a tool to assess Africa’s position in receiving Official Development Assistance (ODA), foreign direct investment, and to harness human capital,” she explained.
The first Forum was held in Cairo in 2021, followed by Kampala in 2023. Now, with Freetown as host, Hamouda said the 2025 Forum will explore the role of the Global South in reshaping the international order. It will feature a knowledge fair that showcases youth innovation and entrepreneurship, both local and international.
In his remarks, Ambassador Kraus-Masse welcomed the initiative and reaffirmed Germany’s ongoing diplomatic and development support to Sierra Leone, particularly in health (epidemic prevention), peace and security, sustainable economic growth, and support for youth and women.
While clarifying that Germany is not part of the Global South, the Ambassador acknowledged the importance of triangular cooperation—combining expertise from the South with financial and technical support from the North for a more significant development impact in third-party countries.
He further assured the delegation of his commitment to exploring avenues through GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) to support the Forum and Sierra Leone’s broader governance and development objectives.
The dialogue ended optimistically, with all parties reaffirming their commitment to inclusive cooperation for stronger governance and sustainable growth in Africa.
Credit: Correspondent: Musa Kamara
