By Mahmud Tim Kargbo
Friday, 5 June 2026
No patriotic Sierra Leonean should defend narcotics trafficking. No patriotic Sierra Leonean should oppose legitimate law enforcement. And no patriotic Sierra Leonean should object to international cooperation aimed at dismantling transnational criminal networks. The fight against organised crime is not a partisan issue. It is a national interest issue. Yet there is an equally important principle that deserves defence: the distinction between pursuing criminals and punishing nations.
That distinction has become increasingly blurred in the debate surrounding Dutch fugitive Jos Leijdekkers, known as “Bolle Jos”, and recent calls by Dutch Justice Minister, David van Weel, d
to reconsider European development assistance to Sierra Leone. The issue is no longer simply the pursuit of a wanted individual. It has evolved into a broader debate about evidence, state responsibility, development policy, and the standards that should govern international relations.
There is now a tendency among some Sierra Leoneans, often driven by domestic political disagreements, to embrace without qualification the most damaging international characterisations of their own country. Some have gone further by supporting proposals that could ultimately reduce development assistance intended for ordinary Sierra Leoneans. That position deserves careful scrutiny. One may criticise government failures. One may demand stronger anti-narcotics enforcement. One may call for institutional reform. One may insist upon greater transparency. Those are legitimate democratic positions.
What is far more difficult to justify is support for measures that would primarily affect citizens who have no connection whatsoever to the alleged conduct under investigation. According to reporting by NL Times, DutchNews, Daily Dutch News and Asatu News, the Dutch Government is considering efforts to persuade the European Union to reconsider development assistance to Sierra Leone.
NL Times:
https://nltimes.nl/2026/06/01/dutch-govt-will-try-cutting-eu-development-aid-sierra-leone-bolle-jos
DutchNews:
https://www.dutchnews.nl/2026/06/government-pushes-eu-to-cut-sierra-leone-aid-over-drug-smuggling/
Daily Dutch News:
Asatu News:
https://www.asatunews.co.id/en/netherlands-sierra-leone-drug-kingpin
The proposal raises an obvious question. Why should schoolchildren, farmers, patients, small businesses, local communities, and vulnerable households bear the consequences of allegations directed at one fugitive? Development assistance is not designed to reward governments. It is intended to improve lives. According to the European Commission’s International Partnerships programme, European support to Sierra Leone focuses on governance, education, food security, renewable energy, economic development, and public services. https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/countries/sierra-leone_en
Reducing such assistance would not primarily punish Jos Leijdekkers. It would affect ordinary Sierra Leoneans. International law has long treated collective punishment with caution, because it imposes consequences upon persons who are not individually responsible for the conduct in question. The principle appears most explicitly in Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which states: “No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed.” International Committee of the Red Cross: https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/gciv-1949/article-33
While the current dispute concerns development policy rather than armed conflict, the broader principle remains relevant. Modern international norms generally favour individual responsibility over collective blame. The same principle is reflected in criminal law, human rights law, and democratic governance. Equally important is Sierra Leone’s own constitutional framework. The Constitution of Sierra Leone recognises duties of citizenship alongside rights and freedoms. It envisages citizens contributing to national cohesion, protecting the country’s integrity, and promoting its welfare
Constitution of Sierra Leone: https://www.parliament.gov.sl/uploads/acts/constitution_of_sierra_leone_1991.pdf
That obligation does not require silence. Criticism is essential in any democracy. But citizenship carries responsibilities as well as rights. There is a difference between demanding reform and advocating outcomes that could deepen hardship for millions of fellow citizens.
It is equally important to recognise a reality often overlooked in these discussions. Sierra Leone, like several other states along the Gulf of Guinea, faces significant maritime security constraints. Its territorial waters cover a substantial area. Monitoring those waters effectively requires surveillance technology, maritime patrol assets, intelligence systems, radar capabilities, and resources that many developing coastal states do not possess at the levels available to wealthier nations.
Successive Sierra Leonean authorities have publicly acknowledged these limitations. Rather than denying them, officials have repeatedly stated their willingness to cooperate with international partners. Following the emergence of allegations concerning Leijdekkers in January 2025, representatives of the Sierra Leone Police, the Office of National Security, and the Ministry of Information and Civic Education publicly stated that investigations were underway and appealed for information from citizens and international partners.
Ministry of Information and Civic Education:
http://www.moice.gov.sl/ministry-of-information-and-civic-educations-press-conference/
Reuters:
http://www.reuters.com/world/africa/sierra-leone-says-investigating-reports-that-dutch-drug-kingpin-took-refuge-2025-01-26/
Voice of America:
http://www.voanews.com/a/sierra-leone-investigating-reports-dutch-drug-kingpin-took-refuge-in-country/7951251.html
One may debate whether those efforts have been sufficient. What is harder to sustain is the suggestion that no willingness to cooperate has been expressed. Indeed, Dutch reporting itself acknowledges that Sierra Leone’s response over several months has consistently been that procedures remain underway. That reality sits uneasily beside claims of outright non-cooperation. The two propositions are not identical. A disagreement over the pace or effectiveness of legal processes is not necessarily evidence of refusal. Nor should patriotism be confused with denial.
The Holy Quran warns against injustice and false accusation:
Holy Quran Surah Al-An’am 6:164 states:
“No bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.” The principle appears again in Surah Al-Isra 17:15 and Surah Az-Zumar 39:7.
“O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves…”
(Quran 4:135)
The Bible expresses a similar principle:
“Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.”
(Exodus 23:1)
Ezekiel 18:20:
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son.”
Similarly, Galatians 6:5 teaches:
“For every man shall bear his own burden.”
Neither scripture calls for silence in the face of wrongdoing. Both call for truth, fairness, evidence, and justice. Those principles should guide public debate. Sierra Leoneans should support the fight against narcotics trafficking. They should support stronger institutions. They should support accountability wherever evidence leads. But they should be equally cautious about endorsing narratives that transform allegations against individuals into judgments against an entire nation.
The challenge facing Sierra Leone is not choosing between accountability and patriotism. The challenge is defending both simultaneously. A mature democracy should be capable of confronting criminality without condemning itself, acknowledging weaknesses without surrendering its dignity, and cooperating internationally without accepting collective blame. That balance is not only in Sierra Leone’s interest. It is essential to the credibility of international justice itself.