A Sierra Leone court has convicted 11 individuals of treason and other offenses related to an alleged attempted coup, with their leader receiving a sentence of nearly 200 years in prison, a judiciary spokesman announced on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.
In November, dozens of gunmen stormed the country’s armory and a prison, resulting in the escape of over 2,000 inmates. The ensuing clashes claimed the lives of 18 security personnel. Authorities reported the arrest of approximately 80 suspects at the time, with a dozen being charged in January, including former President Ernest Bai Koroma, who was later granted medical leave.
The individual accused of orchestrating the attack, Amadu Koita Makalo, was sentenced on Monday to 182 years in prison on charges of treason, murder, and shooting with intent to murder, according to judiciary spokesperson Moses Lamin Kamara.
Makalo, a former bodyguard of Koroma and a vocal critic of current President Julius Maada Bio on social media, led the group of convicts. The other 10 individuals were also found guilty of treason and murder, receiving sentences ranging from 30 to 112 years in prison.
Although officially retired from politics, Koroma remains an influential figure within his political party. Many of those arrested in connection with the attack were former associates of the ex-president, Information Minister Chernor Bah informed the Associated Press.
Political tensions have been high in Sierra Leone since President Bio’s reelection last year, a result the opposition claims was rigged. Two months after his reelection, police arrested several individuals, including senior military officers, on charges of planning to use protests to undermine peace.
Sierra Leone is still recovering from an 11-year civil war that ended over two decades ago. The country, with a population of 8 million, remains one of the poorest in the world. Neighboring Guinea also faces political instability following a coup in 2021.
