A high court in Sierra Leone has sentenced 11 individuals, including soldiers and police officers, to lengthy prison terms for their involvement in a failed military coup attempt last year.
The convicted individuals, including two female police officers, received sentences ranging from 30 to 70 years in prison on charges of treason, murder, and unauthorized use of military uniforms.
The failed coup attempt occurred on November 26, 2023, when gunmen targeted multiple military barracks and a prison, freeing approximately 2,200 inmates and killing over 20 people.
Retired army major Amadu Koita Makalo received a 40-70 year sentence, while Ramatu Kamanda Conteh, a police officer, was sentenced to 30 years for harboring Koita.
The government alleges that the coup bid was led by bodyguards of former president Ernest Bai Koroma, who has since been charged with related offenses and allowed to leave the country on medical grounds.
Tensions persist in Sierra Leone, nearly two decades after the civil war that claimed over 50,000 lives.
Join our Channel...