Freetown, Sierra Leone – Twenty-seven-year-old Samuel Sorie Kamara is reportedly in hiding after the death of his elder brother, Corporal Edmond Conteh, a serving member of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), whose family alleges he was killed while in military custody following the failed coup attempt of November 26, 2023.
Corporal Conteh was among the military personnel accused of involvement in the attempted overthrow of the government. While the authorities have acknowledged investigations into the failed coup, the exact circumstances surrounding his death remain disputed. Family members allege that he was the victim of an extrajudicial killing, a claim that has not been publicly confirmed nor denied by the Government of Sierra Leone or the military.
According to family sources, the death of Corporal Conteh marked the beginning of what they describe as an intense campaign against his relatives, particularly Samuel Sorie Kamara.
Samuel and his family originate from Kambia, in Sierra Leone’s North-West Region, an area widely regarded as a political stronghold of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC). Sierra Leone has long experienced political and regional divisions, with the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) drawing much of its support from the south and east, while the APC maintains significant support in the north and west.
Family members and anonymous sources close to the family allege that the authorities have treated many individuals from the north-west who were suspected of involvement in the failed coup with exceptional severity. They claim that suspects face the risk of prolonged detention, life imprisonment, or unlawful killings despite Sierra Leone having abolished the death penalty.
According to the same sources, soldiers attached to the Presidential Guard Force later raided the family’s residence at 91 Main Road, Congo Town, Freetown, searching for evidence allegedly linked to the coup investigation.
The sources claim that Samuel Sorie Kamara was the only adult male present during the operation and that he was severely beaten by the soldiers before they left the premises.
Following the alleged assault, family sources say Samuel received information that security personnel intended to return to the house for a second operation. Believing that his life was in imminent danger, he reportedly fled before they could return, despite allegedly suffering serious injuries from the earlier encounter.
Since then, according to relatives and anonymous sources, both the Sierra Leone Police and military personnel have continued searching for Samuel Sorie Kamara in connection with investigations into the failed coup. However, the authorities have not publicly confirmed that he is formally wanted or declared a fugitive.
The family’s fears have reportedly intensified as several individuals who fled Sierra Leone after the failed coup were later arrested in neighbouring Guinea and Liberia and returned to Sierra Leone under existing security cooperation arrangements between the three countries.
Relatives say they remain deeply concerned that if Samuel Sorie Kamara is located and arrested, he could face life imprisonment or become the victim of an unlawful killing.
As Samuel Sorie Kamara’s whereabouts remain unknown, his family says they continue to fear that every passing day could bring news of either his capture or his death.