High-Profile Treason Convictions Shake Sierra Leone Amid Political Unrest

A Sierra Leone court convicted 11 individuals of treason, including leader Amadu Koita Makalo, who was sentenced to 182 years in prison. The attempted coup saw gunmen freeing over 2,000 inmates and resulted in 18 security force deaths. Ex-president Koroma's former associates were implicated, heightening political tensions.

A court in Sierra Leone has convicted 11 individuals of treason and related offenses, sentencing their leader to nearly 200 years in prison, a judiciary spokesperson announced on Tuesday.

In November, armed men stormed the nation's armoury and a prison, freeing over 2,000 inmates and resulting in the deaths of 18 security personnel. Authorities subsequently arrested around 80 suspects, charging a dozen in January, including former president Ernest Bai Koroma, who was later granted medical leave.

Amadu Koita Makalo, the suspected mastermind and a former bodyguard of Koroma, received a 182-year prison sentence for treason, murder, and shooting with intent to murder, according to judiciary spokesperson Moses Lamin Kamara. The other 10 convicts were also found guilty of treason and murder, receiving sentences ranging from 30 to 112 years.

Despite officially retiring from politics, Koroma remains an influential figure within his party. Many suspects arrested in connection to the attack were his former associates, said Information Minister Chernor Bah.

Sierra Leone has been grappling with political tensions since President Julius Maada Bio's contested reelection last year. Following his reelection, numerous arrests were made, including senior military officers accused of plotting to disrupt the peace.

Still recovering from an 11-year civil war that ended over two decades ago, Sierra Leone's 8 million-strong population remains one of the poorest in the world. Political instability continues to plague the region, with neighboring Guinea experiencing a coup in 2021.

(With inputs from agencies.)