Freetown, Sierra Leone – President Julius Maada Bio on Sunday welcomed former President Ernest Bai Koroma back to the country, describing the return as a chance to deepen national unity, consolidate peace, and work together for a stronger Sierra Leone.
Koroma arrived in Freetown on 6 September 2026 after more than two years away, mostly in Nigeria. He was accompanied by Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Rahman Swarray, senior government officials, and leaders of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) received him at the airport. Koroma told journalists he was happy to be home.
President Bio later received the former Head of State at State House.
In a message after the meeting, Bio urged Sierra Leoneans to stay united and focused on progress.
“Today at the State House, I welcomed former President Ernest Bai Koroma back to Freetown and Sierra Leone. Let us unite in purpose, reinforce our peace, and commit to building a stronger, more prosperous, and hopeful Sierra Leone,” he said.
Koroma, who led Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018, left the country in January 2024 after being charged with treason and related offences linked to the November 2023 armed attacks in Freetown. Those attacks targeted military facilities and prisons, freed more than 2,000 inmates, and left over 20 people dead. Koroma has consistently denied any involvement. A court allowed him to travel to Nigeria for medical treatment; he remained there under arrangements facilitated by ECOWAS and the Nigerian government.
In July 2026, Sierra Leone’s government discontinued the criminal proceedings against him. Koroma briefly returned that same month to attend an ECOWAS summit hosted by President Bio. Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh announced the permanent return last Friday in Makeni, Koroma’s political stronghold, describing it as a step taken “in the spirit of peace and national cohesion.”
Nigeria has presented the homecoming as the successful end of a regional diplomatic and confidence-building process involving ECOWAS. Nigerian officials praised both Bio and Koroma for showing restraint and commitment to peace, and expressed confidence that the return will strengthen reconciliation ahead of the 2028 general elections.
The development has drawn wide public attention across Sierra Leone. Many view it as an important moment for political healing after years of tension following the disputed 2023 elections and the 2023 security incidents. Koroma remains a major figure in the country’s political history and within the APC.
President Bio’s message aligns with ongoing calls for peaceful political engagement and collective focus on development priorities such as education, infrastructure, economic recovery, and national stability.
