Controversy surrounds the recent decision by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to relocate former Sierra Leonean President, Ernest Bai Koroma, to Nigeria following treason charges.
The move, announced by ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray, stems from an agreement reached during a high-level delegation’s mission to Freetown on December 23, led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana and Senegal’s Macky Sall.
In a statement, Touray confirmed that the former President has accepted Nigeria’s offer to host him temporarily in Abuja. The proposed relocation, however, has faced opposition from Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Timothy Kabba, who labeled it a unilateral decision by ECOWAS.
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Ernest Bai Koroma, who served as President for 11 years until 2018, was charged with four counts of treason in connection to an attempted coup that occurred last November.
The government’s position on the relocation remains divided, with Koroma’s lawyer, Joseph Kamara, expressing shock and disbelief, denouncing the charges as a “dangerous precedent.”
Kamara stated, “A dark cloud has shadowed the skies of our country, meaning that we are dragging a former head of state – democratically elected – on trumped-up charges under a political vendetta.” The charges are related to a violent incident where gunmen attacked a military armory and prisons in Freetown, resulting in the release of nearly 2,000 inmates and the death of about 20 people.
Koroma, under house arrest since the coup attempt, denies involvement in the attack. The legal proceedings also involve 11 other individuals, including one of Koroma’s former bodyguards. The timing of the attempted coup, just five months after a disputed election won by incumbent President Julius Maada Bio, adds complexity to the situation.
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The elections, criticized by international observers for lacking transparency in the count, further heightened political tensions in Sierra Leone.
As the situation unfolds, the decision to relocate Koroma to Nigeria raises questions about the diplomatic implications and potential repercussions for the region.
