Ghana, Sierra Leone Rush to Evacuate Diplomats from Iran
Sierra Leone's government confirmed Tuesday it had extracted 24 of its nationals from Iran — among them three embassy diplomats, six locally employed staff, 14 students, and one private citizen — all of whom have been relocated to Armenia. The Foreign Ministry was unequivocal about its mandate. "The safety and welfare of Sierra Leonean citizens remain a priority," it said. "The Government will continue to provide updates as necessary."
Ghana moved a day earlier, with the Foreign Affairs Ministry confirming Monday that all diplomatic personnel had been fully withdrawn from its Tehran embassy. Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced on Facebook that the evacuated diplomats "are safe and in high spirits," and confirmed the country's mission in Iran was "now closed sine die." "The safety, welfare and protection of Ghanaians remains our utmost priority in these tempestuous times," he added.
The evacuations are part of a broader continental response. Uganda airlifted 42 students from Tehran to Türkiye, while a string of other African governments — including Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria, and Sudan — have issued urgent travel advisories and activated emergency protocols for citizens caught in the conflict zone.
At the continental level, the African Union (AU) has urged all warring parties to step back from the brink, expressing deep concern over US and Israeli strikes inside Iran and calling for full compliance with international law, immediate de-escalation, and a return to diplomatic dialogue.
The crisis was dramatically triggered on Saturday when US and Israeli forces carried out coordinated airstrikes on Iranian military installations, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei alongside several senior officials in a strike that sent shockwaves across the globe. Tehran retaliated swiftly and forcefully, unleashing successive waves of missiles and drones against Israel and US military installations throughout the Gulf region — a volley that has since drawn multiple nations into urgent crisis management mode.
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