AYV News, June 10, 2025
As part of a strategic effort to enhance the capacity of the Sierra Leone Police and advance ongoing transition reforms, Inspector General of Police William Fayia Sellu has launched a high-level partnership initiative to secure advanced training opportunities for personnel.
The Inspector General of Police paid a courtesy visit to His Excellency Baisnab Charan Pradhan, the High Commissioner of India to Sierra Leone. The visit sought to further cement bilateral relations between the two nations while expanding training programmes that are critical to law enforcement development and national security.
During the meeting, IGP Fayia Sellu expressed profound gratitude to the Government of India for its continued support through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme. He emphasised that the training already provided under that initiative has had a tangible impact on the force’s operations.
“The Sierra Leone Police has greatly benefited from the training programmes you provide, which are vital to us as we face increasingly dynamic crime environments,” IGP FayiaSellu stated. “We need to continually develop the capacity of our personnel, particularly in areas like forensic science and cybercrime investigations, to ensure we are equipped with the modern tools necessary to combat emerging threats effectively.”
The police chief also cited the involvement of BlueCrestCollege, an Indian-owned institution in Sierra Leone, as an example of fruitful collaboration and expressed optimism for more opportunities in line with the SLP’s ongoing transformation agenda.
“If the personnel are better equipped, they will provide better service delivery. We look forward to long-term cooperation with India in achieving this shared goal,” he added.
In response, High Commissioner Baisnab Charan Pradhan warmly welcomed the initiative and reaffirmed India’s commitment to supporting the professional development of Sierra Leone’s law enforcement personnel. “The Indian Government is committed to providing more training programmes as they become available,” he assured. “We understand the value of a strong and well-trained police force and will inform you promptly of upcoming opportunities, including those targeting senior officers.”
Both parties agreed that investing in human capacity development remains a cornerstone for maintaining national security and deepening bilateral ties. The engagement marks a significant milestone in fostering strategic international partnerships geared toward institutional strengthening of the Sierra Leone Police.
The meeting ended with mutual assurances of continued collaboration, setting the stage for more comprehensive and specialised training programmes in the months ahead.
