Sierra Leone has insisted it does not depend on cash from Brussels

The European Commission has halted foreign aid payments to Sierra Leone ostensibly over a Dutch demand that Freetown must extradite a convicted drug trafficker. The move has escalated a dispute that has led the West African country to accuse the Netherlands' government of neo-colonialism.

Dutch Justice and Security Minister David van Weel announced the suspension on X on Thursday while attending a meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers in Luxembourg. He described the move as "a good start" to efforts to strengthen the "EU sanctions regime against organized crime."

The dispute centers on Jos Leijdekkers, known as "Bolle Jos," who was handed a 24-year sentence in the Netherlands in June 2024 for cocaine trafficking, an armed robbery and ordering a murder. He remains on the Dutch police's most-wanted list. He has also reportedly received prison sentences totaling around 100 years in Belgium.

Sierra Leone had been due to receive €18 million (about $20.3 million) in aid before year-end for education, food programs and infrastructure, public broadcaster NOS reported. A further €22.5 million (about $25.4 million) pledged for 2027 could also be suspended if Sierra Leone continues to refuse cooperation, Van Weel said. The Commission has not yet publicly announced the suspension.

Reuters reported early last year, citing sources with direct knowledge of the matter, that Leijdekkers had found refuge and high-level protection in Sierra Leone and was married to President Julius Maada Bio's daughter Agnes. Footage verified by the agency showed the fugitive seated two rows behind Bio at a church service on January 1, 2025.

In a statement that month, Sierra Leone's Information Ministry said Bio had no knowledge of Leijdekkers' identity or the allegations against him. It noted that the president attended numerous family events and public gatherings during the holiday season, where he was photographed with many attendees.

The government announced a "transparent and thorough" investigation and pledged cooperation with Dutch authorities, Interpol and other international law enforcement agencies.

The Netherlands submitted an extradition request to the West African country in February 2025. The two countries lack a bilateral extradition treaty.

Speaking on Sierra Leonean broadcaster AYV's State of the Nation on September 9, Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh said the country's intelligence services do "not know where Leijdekkers is."

The minister accused Van Weel of acting like a "neo-colonialist." He said Sierra Leone is an independent country that does "not live on EU aid."

Van Weel dismissed the accusation as "ridiculous" in comments to NOS reported last month.

Sengeh also accused The Hague of double standards, saying it had refused to extradite Netherlands-based government critic Abdul Kamara ('Adebayor'), whom Freetown accuses of inciting violence, including riots in August 2022 that left at least 26 civilians and six police officers dead.

Sierra Leone is a key transit hub for cocaine trafficked from South America to Europe, according to assessments by Interpol and the 2025 Global Organized Crime Index. Spanish authorities seized 30.2 metric tons aboard a cargo ship that had departed from Freetown in May this year, arresting 23 people, including Dutch and Filipino nationals.

(RT.com)