AYV News, December 9, 2025
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Alhaji Timothy Musa Kabba has said he has been getting late-night calls from families selected for the Diversity Visa program whose interviews have now been aborted. Noting that this development has caused genuine dreams to be shattered.
He publicly acknowledged the rising concerns among Sierra Leoneans affected by the ongoing suspension of certain categories of United States visas, describing the situation as “gruelling and deeply distressing”.
Minister Kabba said, “Not a day passes without receiving messages from students who secured university admissions but were caught up in the suspension”.
He said the suspension is linked to allegations of visa overstays by some Sierra Leoneans; a breach he said cannot be disputed, citing a recent case involving a senior government official, Abubakarr Sillah, Assistant Director of Labour and Employment at the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security, who obtained a U.S. visa to attend the 2025 Diaspora Investment Conference in Maryland but failed to return after the event.
The minister said, “Mr. Sillah has since disappeared and such incidents continue to undermine the country’s credibility”.
He assured the public that the government is working tirelessly behind the scenes with the U.S. Embassy in Freetown to find a resolution, while emphasised that the incident does not reflect the overall strength of Sierra Leone-U.S. relations.
“The depth and strength of our bilateral relations with the U.S. are not a reflection of this situation,” he said. “The U.S. private sector remains active in Sierra Leone, with multinational and bilateral partnerships stronger than ever. But every sovereign nation acts in its national interest.”
He appealed for patience from all affected citizens and urged Sierra Leoneans to uphold the integrity of visa privileges granted by foreign nations.
