Sierra Leone’s government has formally withdrawn treason charges against former president Ernest Bai Koroma, clearing the way for the ex-leader to return from exile in Nigeria after months of political tension.

Koroma, who governed the country for 11 years, had been accused of involvement in what authorities described as an attempted coup, following coordinated attacks on key security installations in the capital. Gunmen stormed a military armoury, barracks, prisons and police stations in a dramatic assault that left at least 21 people dead and led to the escape of hundreds of inmates before security forces restored control.

In the aftermath, the government arrested dozens of suspects, many of them serving or former military personnel, and moved swiftly to frame the violence as an organised bid to topple the administration. Koroma was later charged with treason and related offences, a move his supporters denounced as politically motivated.

The Office of the attorney general and minister of justice has now confirmed it has filed a notice to discontinue all criminal proceedings against the former president. The statement stressed that Koroma is free to return to Sierra Leone once his medical treatment in Nigeria is complete, or whenever he chooses.

Officials have not publicly detailed the legal or evidentiary reasons for dropping the case. However, political analysts and diplomatic sources say the decision reflects intense behind-the-scenes negotiations aimed at easing a prolonged standoff between the ruling party and the opposition All People’s Congress, which Koroma still heavily influences.

Regional leaders and international partners have been pressing Freetown to lower the political temperature after disputed elections and the November attacks deepened mistrust. Allowing Koroma to return without the shadow of a treason trial is seen as a concession designed to open space for dialogue and potential reforms of the security and electoral systems.

For many Sierra Leoneans, the move raises complex questions about accountability for the violence and the broader pattern of political crises that have periodically shaken the country since the end of its civil war. Yet it also offers a possible off-ramp from confrontation, as the government seeks to project stability and the opposition weighs how to respond to the unexpected reprieve for its most prominent figure.