Due to a botched coup, Sierra Leone accuses former President Koroma of treason.

In a significant development, Sierra Leone's ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma has been charged with four offenses, including treason, for his alleged involvement in a thwarted military attempt to overthrow the West African country's government in November. The announcement was made by a court in the capital, Freetown, on Wednesday.

This legal action has the potential to heighten tensions in the nation, given the backdrop of the recent attempted coup and a contentious election that saw President Julius Maada Bio secure a second term in June 2023. Frictions in Sierra Leone have been escalating, with the country still in recovery from a devastating 1991-2002 civil war that claimed more than 50,000 lives.

The election outcome, which saw President Bio's re-election, faced rejection by the main opposition candidate and skepticism from international partners, including the United States and the European Union.

On November 26, gunmen attacked military barracks, a prison, and other locations in Sierra Leone, resulting in the release of approximately 2,200 inmates and the tragic loss of more than 20 lives. The government later attributed the incident to a foiled coup, primarily led by Koroma's bodyguards, leading to the summons of the former president for questioning in early December.

In response to the attacks, the ex-president issued a statement condemning the violence shortly after its occurrence. The charges against Koroma, which include misprison of treason and two counts of harboring, were read out in court, prompting emotional reactions from some of his supporters present.

Koroma's lawyer, Joseph Kamara, decried the legal proceedings as setting a "dangerous precedent" and characterized them as part of a "political vendetta" against a democratically elected former head of state. Despite the charges, a high court granted bail to Koroma later on Wednesday, confining him to his home in the capital. The case has been adjourned until January 17.

Simultaneously, the government revealed that 12 other individuals, including a member of Koroma's security detail, have also been charged with treason in connection to the failed coup. The accused, which include former police and correctional officers, were arraigned before a magistrate in Freetown on Tuesday. Among those charged is Amadu Koita, a former soldier and Koroma's ex-bodyguard, known for his criticism of Bio's government on social media. As of now, neither Koita nor his legal representative has commented on the charges.