Former President Ernest Bai Koroma returns to Sierra Leone from political exile – courtesy of ECOWAS

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 19 July 2026:

Ernest Bai Koroma, the former president of Sierra Leone this morning returned to Freetown, after spending over two years in political exile in Abuja, Nigeria, under the auspices of President Tinuba.

His return has sparked questions as to whether he is now a free man to stay in his native home Sierra Leone permanently, after treason charges were brought by President Bio’s government, following allegations of coup plot to overthrow the government in November 2023.

The former Head of State this morning received a red carpet welcome by his family and senior officials of his opposition All People’s Congress party (APC) at the Lungi International airport in Freetown.

(Photo: Former president Koroma warmly embraced by his grand daughter).

But there were no State officials in the welcoming party, as his return bears all the hallmarks of an ECOWAS – Economic Community of West African States – staged affair.

Sierra Leone’s 2023 Presidential and General elections which saw President Bio returned as president for the second and final term were marred by violence, ballot rigging, and electoral fraud, which international election observers – including the United States government, condemned and described as lacking transparency and credibility.

The country’s main opposition APC, which was previously led by former President Ernest Bai Koroma, strongly refused to accept the results of the 2023 elections and referred to President Bio’s government as illegitimate, sparking political instability and chaos, as the elected parliamentarians and local councillors of the APC decided to boycott the governance of the country.

For several months, the country’s parliament and local council townhalls barely functioned, until the international community stepped in with a national peace plan, which brought together the ruling SLPP and the opposition APC to sign a Peace Accord with clear and verifiable terms and conditions. (Photo above: Dr Samura Kamara – 2023 presidential candidate of APC and Bio’s government chief minister Sengeh, signing national peace accord).

This important milestone, paved the way for ECOWAS to put their master plan for peace in Sierra Leone into motion, including the ‘election’ of President Bio as Chairman of ECOWAS and the return of former President Koroma to Sierra Leone.

Just over a year ago, on June 22, 2025, President Bio (Photo above) was elected as the Chair of ECOWAS, at the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority in Abuja, Nigeria, succeeding Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

For many Sierra Leoneans who regard President Bio as an illegitimate Head of State and a vile abuser of human rights, including the killing of hundreds of unarmed citizens in cold blood, who is also giving refuge and protection to Europe’s most dangerous and wanted cocaine trafficker, his election as chair of ECOWAS is an immoral travesty too far, which they say makes a mockery of democracy and the ECOWAS chairmanship.

But for senior ECOWAS leaders (Photo above), especially President Tinubu of Nigeria and the former presidents of Senegal and Ghana, electing President Bio as chairman of ECOWAS was a necessary price to pay for peace and stability to reign in Sierra Leone, after ten years of brutal civil war that saw over 50,000 people killed.

The next piece in ECOWAS’ jigsaw was put in place when a High-Level Monitoring visit to Freetown early this year by ECOWAS representatives and the European Union, concluded that most, if not all, of the terms and conditions of the Sierra Leone National Peace Accord had been achieved by the government, including the release of some of the opposition APC’s political prisoners.

The final and most important piece in ECOWAS jigsaw is the staging of the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, which kicks off today 19th July 2026 in the newly built Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre, next door to the country’s international airport in Lungi.

Chaired by President Bio, this summit of West African leaders is more about promoting peace and stability in the region in general and Sierra Leone in particular, and former President Ernest Bai Koroma has arrived this morning to attend as guest of ECOWAS.

Former President Koroma’s return to Freetown to take part in this ECOWAS summit of leaders would not have been possible without President Bio’s approval, and the dropping of all treason charges against the former president.

One of President Bio’s accusations levied against the opposition APC party is that they are a terrorist group trying to destabilise the country, using their northern stronghold as a base. This was made clear by President Bio in a State broadcast following widespread protests by supporters of the APC in which dozens of people were killed by security forces.

President Bio’s recent visit and townhall meeting in Makeni – the ancestral home of former President Koroma and capital of Bombali district, also the electoral heartland of the APC – in President Bio’s mind, has laid to rest his belief that Makeni is a no-go area to himself and his ruling SLPP.

Bio’s visit to Makeni added another piece to the ECOWAS jigsaw in facilitating the return of former President Koroma.

Several people were killed in Makeni by police a few years ago, after widespread rioting, following the removal of an electricity generator from Maken by President Bio’s government, leaving the city in complete darkness.

But the process overseeing the return of President Koroma to Sierra Leone today, even though not permanently, has been at best clumsy; and at worse – fraught with legal and constitutional confusion, whether inadvertently or by design.

It all started on 13th July, 2026 with report by the ruling SLPP chairman Jimmy Batilo stating that: “Today, the Deputy National Chairman, Robert K Kargbo and I met with members of the National Elders Council of our Party (Photo), the moral guarantors of the Sierra Leone People’s Party as enshrined in Article 12 of our 2020 Party Constitution.

“The purpose of the meeting was to update them on my engagements with the Parliamentary Leadership of the SLPP and our Party Leader, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, regarding recent parliamentary developments concerning former President Ernest Bai Koroma.

“Our discussions underscored the importance of ensuring that all parliamentary and governmental actions are guided by the Constitution of Sierra Leone while safeguarding due process and promoting national unity, peace, and stability.

“As the Party that led Sierra Leone to Independence and later played a pivotal role in restoring peace following our country’s eleven year civil war, we recognise our enduring responsibility to protect democratic governance and strengthen national cohesion. Given President Bio’s current role as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), our discussions also reflected on the principles enshrined in the ECOWAS Revised Treaty and the Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, which promote constitutional order, democratic governance and the peaceful resolution of political differences.

“I reaffirmed the importance of His Excellency the President continuing to advance peace, stability and national cohesion through constitutional and democratic means. Accordingly, the National Elders Council encouraged the National Chairman, his executive and SLPP Members at Home and Abroad to continue supporting the President’s efforts to foster peace, unity and inclusive national dialogue for the benefit of all Sierra Leoneans.

“President Julius Maada Bio has consistently demonstrated a commitment to pursuing peace and reconciliation. His engagement with Foday Sankoh during the peace process contributed to efforts that helped bring Sierra Leone’s civil war to an end. Today, his commitment to national reconciliation continues through efforts aimed at fostering dialogue and unity, including initiatives relating to former President Ernest Bai Koroma.

“History will judge every leader by the legacy they leave behind. It is my hope that President Julius Maada Bio will be remembered for his dedication to peace, democratic governance, national unity and the continued progress of Sierra Leone.”

This meeting of SLPP party grandees was then quickly followed by a public notice from the office of the country’s Attorney General on the 14th of July 2026, saying that the Bio-led government, through the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, has dropped all treason charges against former President Ernest Bai Koroma, in accordance with Section 45 of the Criminal Procedure Act.

This announcement was made at the Government’s Weekly Press Conference, by the Minister of Information and Civic Education, informing that a motion to discontinue the criminal proceedings had been filed and former president Koroma is free to return to Sierra Leone.

Responding to the Attorney General’s decision to drop all treason charges against Koroma, lead counsel for the former president – Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara who has always been critical of the government’s charges against the former president, said: “Our client, His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, former President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, has today been formally and fully discharged of all criminal charges previously brought against him.

“The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice has filed a Notice of Discontinuance under Section 45 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 2024, bringing an end to proceedings filed against him.

“This decision serves the interests of national peace, reconciliation, and social cohesion. We welcome the Attorney-General’s exercise of his lawful authority in furtherance of these important national objectives.

“President Koroma has always respected the judicial process, cooperated fully with authorities, and complied with all imposed bail conditions. With the discontinuance, his bail is now discharged, and he is free to return to Sierra Leone, at any time of his choosing.

“We trust that this matter is now closed and that no further legal or extra-legal measures will be pursued against him. Our client looks forward to returning home to continue his contributions to national peace, dialogue, and development, and to spending time with his family.

“We thank President Bio, the government, people of Sierra Leone, the international community, Co-Counsels and colleagues, who stood with him throughout this ordeal.”

The way has been paved for Koroma’s return, but parliament of Sierra Leone too, must have its say, as he had been charged with treason and other related offences following a failed attempt to overthrow the government in November 2023. The government had alleged that some of the individuals accused of masterminding the coup had links to the former president, who was then flown to Nigeria for medical treatment under leave granted by the court.

Then, three days ago, 16^th July 2026, a cross-party motion was unanimously adopted by members of parliament, approving President Bio’s decision and the Attorney General’s public notice to drop all treason charges against former president Koroma, as part of the process aimed at promoting peace and reconciliation in the country.

Some political observers say that beneath this political unity lies a more technical legal question: Can a parliamentary motion determine the fate of a criminal case?

Whiles the Attorney General has quite rightly invoked a motion of “nolle prosequi” in favour of the former President – Ernest Bai Koroma, it is important to note that the government has never produced credible evidence to corroborate its allegations against the former president.

But in a country like Sierra Leone where the rule of law and constitutionality are treated with disrespect by those in power, the question of whether the treason charges against the former president have been legally discharged and vacated from the courts, is purely academic.

No court in Sierra Leone is capable of dispensing fair trial and judgement in Sierra Leone, without political interference. 

What is significant and historical for today, is that former President Koroma has today been welcomed home where he belongs, by his family and members of his political party.

The hope now is that the people of Sierra Leone can breathe some sigh of relief that this long running political saga, has been brought to a close by ECOWAS.

And more importantly, former President Koroma as guest of ECOWAS, is taking part in the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, which kicks off today 19th July 2026 in the newly built Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre,

Sierra Leone desperately needs peace, reconciliation and stability, if it is to develop and thrive. No one should be excluded from that process. (Photo below: Parliamentary Leader of Minority Parties and Former President Koroma on his return back to Freetown today)

This is what the country’s leader of the minority parties in parliamant – Abdul Kargbo MP, said today: “As we welcome home our former President, His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, I extend my sincere appreciation to the President and Government of Sierra Leone for facilitating his return.

“I also wish to express special gratitude to the Leadership of Parliament, whose parliamentary diplomacy played a pivotal role in making this possible. The leadership devoted valuable time to engaging His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio and travelled to Abuja to meet with former President Ernest Bai Koroma in pursuit of a peaceful and dignified resolution.

“This is clear evidence that, through dialogue, mutual respect, and national unity, Sierra Leoneans are capable of resolving their differences. May this spirit continue to guide us as we work together for the peace, stability, and progress of our nation.”