Relations with Germany are amicable. The Federal Republic of Germany officially recognised Sierra Leone immediately after the latter’s independence in 1961 and opened an embassy in Freetown. Germany is highly regarded not only by government representatives, but also among the population. The German Embassy was closed from 1999 till 2003 because of the civil war, but Germany has had an ambassador in Freetown again since 2007.

Together with the European Union, Germany supports Sierra Leone with its political reform agenda, that is, with the establishment of widely accepted voting rights, inclusion and other constitutional guarantees. Within the scope of development cooperation, Germany supports Sierra Leone in the areas of youth employment, vocational training and agriculture, rural development and energy, strengthening the health sector (including HIV/AIDS prevention), promoting women’s rights and governance, and critical minerals supply chains. Within the framework of the Civil Peace Service, Germany also promotes measures by church and private seconding organisations aimed at strengthening the participation and rights of local communities and fostering religious tolerance.

In 2024, Germany exported goods valued at 24.5 million euro to Sierra Leone and imported goods worth 48.5 million euro, with rutile (titanium dioxide), extracted by open‑cast mining in Sierra Leone, accounting for more than 80 percent of German imports from the country.