Amb. Eddinia Michaela Swallow

Deputy Permanent Representative (Legal Affairs) of Sierra Leone to the United Nations

[Amb. Eddinia Michaela Swallow @barbsbar]

Commemorating Africa Day at UN Headquarters, New York: 26th May 2026.
At this event I highlighted the importance of the celebration to the government and people of Sierra Leone & paid tribute to the sacrifices of the founding fathers of the organisation of African Unity now AU.

[Amb. Eddinia Michaela Swallow @barbsbar]

Happy to celebrate Sierra Leone’s Independence here in New York. Raising our 🇸🇱 flag at #bowlinggreen NYC with fellow Sierra Leoneans is a display of shared values, commitment, love for country and renewed hope.

Happy 65th Independence Day my beloved 🇸🇱
https://t.co/YA8bQh8p0a

[Amb. Eddinia Michaela Swallow @barbsbar]

At the close of the III Session of the Preparatory Commission on the BBNJ Agreement, Sierra Leone, on behalf of the African Group, reaffirmed Africa’s strong commitment to ocean governance. Africa looks forward with optimism to the 1st Conference of the Parties.
#BBNJ

[Amb. Eddinia Michaela Swallow @barbsbar]

It was with great pride & heartfelt joy that I hoisted both the Sierra Leone and USA flags alongside Mayor Eric Adams of New York City in honor of our 64th Independence Day. Our flags symbolize our rich history & enduring spirit. Together, we celebrate freedom, unity & prosperity

[SierraLeone@UN @SierraLeoneUN]

March 28, 2025

At the invitation of Permanent Representative of Surinam, Chair of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC) at the United Nations for the month of March, Professor Charles Chernor Jalloh briefed on his nomination by Sierra Leone’s National Group and endorsement by the Government of Sierra Leone as the country’s candidate for election to the International Court of Justice for the 2027-2036 term.

Professor Jalloh was introduced by Sierra Leone’s Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative for Legal Affairs, H.E. Ms. Eddinia Michaela Swallow. In her introduction, Ambassador Swallow reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s strong and unwavering support for Professor Jalloh.

Following a presentation on the Court’s functions, Professor Jalloh shared his vision for the ICJ, which includes the view that the Court must continue to “settle disputes in accordance with international law, consistent with its statute.” He emphasized that the Court must maintain this role, particularly when addressing politically sensitive issues such as allegations of genocide or the use of force in international law.

Professor Jalloh emphasized the fundamental values guiding his candidacy, stating: “Integrity means possessing the high moral character required to serve as a judge. Independence means being free from all external influence, whether governmental or private. Impartiality means approaching each case without bias and in a neutral manner. If elected, I will be guided by these core values and will strive to understand and respect the views of all parties before the Court, even, especially, when I may initially disagree with their interpretations of the law.”

Currently serving as Professor of International Law and the Richard A. Hausler Chair in Law at the University of Miami Law School, Professor Jalloh has an extensive career in both academia and international law. Before transitioning to academia in 2009 as an Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh Law School, he practiced law at both international and domestic levels, including at the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. He has advised States and international organizations on a broad range of international legal issues and has represented clients before various international courts and tribunals. A prolific scholar, he has published extensively in the field of international law and serves on the editorial board of the American Journal of International Law. Professor Jalloh is also an award-winning educator, recognized for his research with numerous prestigious honors, including the Fulbright-Lund Distinguished Chair in Public International Law at Lund University in Sweden and the Distinguished University Professor designation at Florida International University.
https://t.co/1jJgUubyQU
#SierraLeoneUN
@CharlesJalloh
@barbsbar

[Amb. Eddinia Michaela Swallow @barbsbar]

The past week has been both phenomenal and insightful as I joined my amazing colleagues at the Sierra Leone Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.

I am grateful to an incredible team, headed by Amb. Dr. Michael I. Kanu, for their support and invaluable guidance.

[David Hundeyin @DavidHundeyin]

The Nigerian idea of an elite school is one where you pay a boatload of money for your kids to be "educated" in the syllabus of a country 6,000 miles away, by people who do not look or sound like you, and who come from a completely different historical and civilisational context to your West African reality.

There, they take your kids through the British Key Stage 1-4 assessments where your kids are taught the history of 20th Century Europe, focusing on the Dreadnought, Trench Foot, Mustard Gas, and how Brave, Plucky Britain saved the world from the German threat twice. Despite receiving this education in Africa's largest city, their own West African history is not even a footnote - it simply doesn't exist as far as this syllabus is concerned.

In their Physics class, they are assigned questions like, "Which of the following temperature readings is a fairly warm day? a) -3⁰C b) 5⁰C c) 19⁰C d) 9⁰C"

Despite the evidence of the West African air outside the window telling them that 19⁰C is actually one of the coldest settings on the classroom AC, and cannot possibly be a "fairly warm day" in Lagos - which regularly hits 34⁰C - they learn to pick C as the answer.

Your kids come out at 17, tremendously educated, enlightened, and certified in knowledge and career pathways that have nothing to do with the reality of the society and economy that they live in. From there, they proceed straight to the UK/US/Canada/Australia/Switzerland/France to continue their education and graduate, after which most of them will remain there and contribute to those societies, occasionally uploading a "🇳🇬" flag on October 1 and taking a photo with Jollof rice at @FoodPitanga, because that's all that Nigeria means to them.

After 2 children and a divorce at 42, they will then take a 6 month break from work and travel to Nigeria to find themselves, which usually means getting into a torrid affair with a shekpeteri boy/girl that inevitably leads to severe character development. They then pack up the newly learned lessons and move back to Houston, after which they write a self-published book with a pretentious indigenous name about a girl who travels to the land of her ancestors to find meaning, and becomes friends with a river goddess.

The book sells 15 copies on Amazon and has two 5-star ratings from friends and family.

If you're lucky and they return to Nigeria immediately after studying, they inevitably end up working in Wealth Management at Chapel Hill Denham, where they pointlessly and relentlessly shift money from one rich man's pocket to another without expanding the economy by a single naira; or they launch an app that achieves 2,500 downloads and spends all its funding runway on Marketing and the founder's lifestyle expenditure; or they end up selling "luxury" real estate on behalf of developers who are daddy's friends.

Or they fall off the surface of the earth altogether, and end up in rehab at a quiet private facility in Tema, after developing an expensive cocaine habit in Lagos.

eLiTe eDucAtIon, ladies and gentlemen.

[Amb. Eddinia Michaela Swallow @barbsbar]

@SierraLII Congratulations to them👏

[Amb. Eddinia Michaela Swallow @barbsbar]

Sierra Leone Bar Association releases it's observation report on the June 24th 2023 elections in Sierra Leone, and congratulates the people of Sierra Leone for a peaceful elections ✌️

[Amb. Eddinia Michaela Swallow @barbsbar]

Sierra Leone Bar Association as an accredited observer of the June 24th multi-tier elections commits to promote peace and calls on all stakeholders to keep the peace✌️

[Amb. Eddinia Michaela Swallow @barbsbar]

The Sierra Leone Bar Association has given a facelift to the Kingtom Remand Home through the renovation of a dilapitated dormitory and installation of new sliding gate at its main entrance as part of SLBA's efforts to improve the condition of detention facilities of juveniles.

[Amb. Eddinia Michaela Swallow @barbsbar]

On 24th Aug 2022, 15 professionals accepted the task to investigate the incidents of 8th-10th Aug 2022. Months later, after numerous challenges, many road trips, town hall meetings, interviews, open conversations, review of reports & social media footages, we presented our report

[Michael Charles @Michael85060673]

Some 36 legal practitioners in S/Leone have had refresher training in legal advocacy. The 3days intensive training held on the 21st-23rd March 2023 at Radisson Blu Hotel in Freetown, was facilitated by the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) in partnership with ICCA and ROLE UK.

[Simon Mallett @SimonMallett1]

I would like to add how impressed I was by all the members of the #SierraLeone Bar who attended our training and also the Judiciary. Really interesting discussions on important issues and excellent advocacy skills. Thank you for a great few days!

[Amb. Eddinia Michaela Swallow @barbsbar]

@SimonMallett1 Thank you, from us at the Sierra Leone Bar, we appreciate your coming over in support of promoting continous legal education.

[Amb. Eddinia Michaela Swallow @barbsbar]

Signing of the YORK DECLARATION at the Sierra Leone Bar Association's AGM last Friday. Ensuring political parties and key stakeholders commit to free, fair and non-violent elections, in Sierra Leone on 24th June, 2023.

[SLAJ Salone @SLAJ_Salone]

SLAJ President, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, signing the SLBA York Declaration, committing the media to free, fair and non-violent elections.
https://t.co/TUAHijG0qu
@NDI
@NEDemocracy
@IrlEmbFreetown
@UKinSierraLeone
@USEmbFreetown
@EUinSierraLeone
@TheMFWA

[Michael Charles @Michael85060673]

Happening Now!

Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) at Fabulous Resort, York Village on the theme: Ensuring Free, Fair and Non-Violent Presidential and Parliamentary Elections on June 24th. 2023.
https://t.co/tLliqLLexq

[Michael Charles @Michael85060673]

Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) -Training of Advocacy Trainers in collaboration with the Inns of Court College of Advocacy UK (ICCA), Role UK, UK Pro Bono Network, UK-aid, at Radisson Blu Hotel, Aberdeen, Freetown #lawyers #legal training #legal education

[Amb. Eddinia Michaela Swallow @barbsbar]

@AssoECPM @JusticeProject_ Congratulations 🎊 well deserved 👏