Gambia High Commission Disregards Gov’t Orders  

For more than 26 years, Christiana Coker worked at The Gambia High Commission in Sierra Leone. She says she ended her service without receiving the end-of-service benefits she believes she is owed.

In December 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reportedly gave the High Commission seven days to settle the matter. Nearly a year later, Coker says the benefits remain unpaid, with no timeline provided for payment.

Coker says the High Commission paid benefits to staff laid off in 2015 and wants an explanation for why her claim remains unresolved after more than two decades of service.

The Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security was contacted for information about the steps it would take and asked to comment. No response had been received at the time of publication. The Gambian High Commission also did not respond to earlier requests for comment.

The lack of responses leaves questions about whether Coker’s entitlement has been formally assessed, what action followed the seven-day ultimatum and what options remain if payment is not made.

The Commissioner of Labour had previously acknowledged the diplomatic privileges foreign missions enjoy under the Vienna Convention, while saying those privileges do not remove the obligation to respect Sierra Leone’s labour laws.

Coker’s case raises broader concerns about protections for Sierra Leoneans employed by diplomatic missions when employment rights are disputed.

She says she is seeking recognition and payment of her entitlement. Until the relevant authorities clarify their positions and outline a way forward, the matter remains unresolved.