Sierra Leone’s ex-president, Ernest Bai Koroma, is set to undergo medical treatment in Nigeria, despite facing allegations of involvement in a coup attempt last year.
A Sierra Leone High Court on Wednesday granted a three-month leave to Mr. Bai Koroma, who governed Sierra Leone for 11 years until 2018.
This move sparked widespread speculations, with many considering the possibility of an exile arrangement.
Koroma was given permission to leave Sierra Leone by the High Court on Wednesday for a maximum of three months to receive medical treatment in Nigeria. The current president of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, called this a “humanitarian gesture”.
On Friday afternoon, a Nigerian presidential jet was observed departing from Freetown International Airport, carrying the 70-year-old former president.
Persistent rumours suggest that a potential arrangement may have been facilitated by the West African regional bloc, Ecowas, in collaboration with the Sierra Leone government.
This speculated deal could allow Mr. Bai Koroma to relocate, potentially contributing to easing tensions that arose from the unrest in November.
The situation unfolds against the backdrop of uncertainty, with observers questioning the nature of the former president’s departure and its implications for the impending legal proceedings.
Factors leading to the coup attempt, treason conviction
The coup attempt occurred in November 2023 when gunmen broke into a military armoury and several prisons in Freetown, freeing almost 2,000 inmates.
The government said this amounted to an attempt to overthrow it, and in subsequent weeks, more than 80 people were arrested as suspects – many of them belonging to Sierra Leone’s military.
Several factors leading to the coup attempt include the political instability in the country. This has been rising since President Julius Maada Bio’s narrow re-election in June 2023, which was achieved without the need for a run-off election. The outcome was contested by the opposing All People’s Congress party, which alleged that the election was manipulated.
The opposition boycotted the parliament declaring a policy of non-engagement with the government, with elected members not taking up office at any level of the government until October.
Second, the country is experiencing a high cost of living crisis and severe poverty. The inflation rate in Sierra Leone went up by 50.94% in August 2023. According to the UN, 59.2% of the population lives in poverty. The youth unemployment rate was 4.15% in 2022.
Unfortunately, economic policies implemented by President Bio worsened the economic crisis, causing the cost of living to escalate. It resulted in violent protests in July and August 2022, demanding the resignation of President Bio.
Also, the aggression of the police had been a cause of concern. The prison riot of 2020 in the overcrowded Pademba prison was quelled by using live ammunition. Similarly, the protests of August 2022 left six police officers and 27 protesters dead.
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