Former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma has returned to his home country after authorities dropped the treason charges linked to an alleged coup attempt in 2023.
Koroma arrived in Freetown on Sunday. He was accompanied by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu. At the airport he was welcomed by Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Rahman Swarray and officials from his opposition party, the All People’s Congress (APC).
“I am home today. I am happy ” Koroma said to reporters.
Koroma led Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018. In 2024 he traveled to Nigeria after being charged with treason and other crimes related to the violence that occurred in November 2023. He was first allowed to stay in Nigeria for three months for reasons.. He remained abroad for more than two years.
In July Sierra Leone’s Justice Ministry said the charges against Koroma had been dismissed. However the ministry did not explain why.
The November 2023 incident involved men who attacked a military armoury, army barracks, prisons and police stations. Government officials said 21 people died in the violence. They called the event an attempted coup.
Koroma’s return comes before the 2028 presidential election in Sierra Leone. His return may carry weight. It could signal a comeback, in the country’s political scene.
