Blyden Calls for Reconciliation to Include Imprisoned Security Officers

Blyden Calls for Reconciliation to Include Imprisoned Security Officers

Following the recent decision by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice to discontinue criminal proceedings against former President Ernest Bai Koroma, All People's Congress (APC) figure Sylvia Olayinka Blyden has called for the national reconciliation process to expand its scope.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, she argued that true reconciliation in Sierra Leone must move beyond political leadership and address the plight of security officers convicted in the aftermath of the failed coup attempt on November 26, 2023.

She specifically highlighted the cases of three men serving significant prison sentences for their roles in the events linked to that incident:

• Ibrahim Batetewor Sesay: Former Assistant Superintendent of Police and Koroma's Chief Security Officer, serving a 44-year sentence.

• Emmanuel Salifu Kamara: A Police Sergeant serving a 92-year sentence.

• Ibrahim Thorlu Bangura (known as “Tiger”): A Military Staff Sergeant serving a 120-year sentence following a court-martial conviction.

Contending that these individuals were serving police and military personnel assigned to provide security for the former president, rather than combatants, Madam Blyden suggested their continued imprisonment stands in contrast to the leniency shown toward the former president.

“Those of us who are honest, know those two policemen deserve their freedom far more than Ernest Bai Koroma does,” Blyden stated.

She emphasized that excluding these officers from reconciliation efforts leaves a critical gap in the healing process. 

She concluded that for Sierra Leone to achieve genuine reconciliation, the conversation must be grounded in truth, with an emphasis on alleviating the suffering of those closely connected to the historical events of the past few years.