A big political shift happened in Sierra Leone— the government has officially dropped treason charges against former President Ernest Bai Koroma. He was arrested a few months after a failed coup in November 2023 that broke into a military depot and released almost 2,000 inmates.
Despite always saying he was innocent, Koroma’s case was hanging over him and his recent ex‑life in Nigeria. Now the charges are gone, though the government didn’t explain why.
In a statement, Koroma thanked Sierra Leone’s current President Julius Maada Bio, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu and the West African bloc Ecowas for backing him. It also said the decision was a step toward peace, justice and reconciliation.
The coup attempt followed a hotly contested 2023 election that Bio won by a narrow margin. Many of Bio’s opponents, led by Koroma’s party the All People’s Congress, argued that the results were unfair and criticized the lack of transparency.
Koroma’s tenure as president lasted 11 years until 2018, when Bio took office. Now he’s free to return home and watch the country heal.
Watch this space for updates on Sierra Leone’s political future and how the country is working to strengthen peace.
