By: Sulaiman Stom Koroma’s Commentary
As the cocaine crisis continues between Sierra Leone and Guinea, following the arrest of a utility vehicle belonging to the Sierra Leonean ambassador with cocaine. This arrest continues to raise troubling questions about the government’s handling of drug-related arrests abroad, especially given the recent cases involving Sierra Leoneans in neighbouring countries.
After the arrest of the driver and another passenger in the vehicle, the ambassador was said to have been placed in self-confinement, while the Guinean government insisted on its intention to try the ambassador under its national laws. However, despite the seriousness of the charges, the Sierra Leonean government has recalled the ambassador, requesting his return to Sierra Leone for questioning.
Just months prior, a Sierra Leonean woman was caught smuggling drugs in The Gambia and was imprisoned after being found guilty. In Senegal, multiple Sierra Leoneans were also arrested for drug trafficking, tried, and convicted under Senegalese law. In each of these instances, the Sierra Leonean government did not intervene to secure the return of its citizens, instead allowing the host countries to handle their legal proceedings.
This inconsistency in the government’s response to similar cases abroad is not baffling but very baffling. People are questioning why the government is so eager to protect an ambassador accused of alleged involvement in drug trafficking, while other ordinary citizens arrested in neighbouring countries for the same offence were not granted the same diplomatic consideration. Many are now asking if the ambassador’s position as a high-ranking government official is influencing the government’s actions, while lesser-known Sierra Leoneans languish in foreign prisons without any intervention from their home country.
Public suspicions have been mounting for some time, as they believe that government officials may be facilitating the flow of illegal drugs into the country. The ambassador’s arrest has only fueled these concerns, with many citizens viewing the diplomatic push to return him to Sierra Leone as an attempt to shield him from prosecution.
Public opinion is shifting, and citizens are watching closely to see whether the government will act with transparency and fairness or whether this incident will deepen the public’s mistrust of the government.
