By: Tommy Sidikie
On Thursday, October 24, 2024, the Court Martial hearing the case of seven soldiers linked to last year’s coup attempt received explosive testimony from Lance Corporal Ibrahim Kuyateh, the fifth accused. His voluntary caution statement, read aloud by second prosecution witness Sergeant O.T. Bangura, provided crucial insights into the attack on the Joint Force Commander’s (JFC) vehicle during the violent coup attempt at Murray Town Junction in November 2023.
Kuyateh’s statement implicated Sorieba Mansaray as the individual responsible for firing a Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) at the JFC’s vehicle. He described Mansaray, who oversaw RPG operations during the assault, as integral to the group’s strategy to target key military assets. Kuyateh recounted his capture and disarmament by the attackers while on duty at the Cockerill Military Headquarters. After conducting his morning Islamic prayers on November 25, 2023, he heard the RPG explosion and was compelled to join the insurgents.
The accused detailed a contentious discussion among the attackers regarding their next move—whether to strike the Joint Logistics Unit or advance toward Pademba Road Prison. Ultimately, they opted for the prison, where they encountered a vehicle marked “JFC.” Mansaray, known by the alias “Stone,” then launched an RPG at the vehicle, prompting military personnel to flee. Kuyateh revealed that the attackers subsequently began arresting police officers to force them into their ranks.
Kuyateh further described the group’s actions as they approached Pademba Road Prison, recalling that Amadu Koita, another attacker, ordered the troops to split into two teams—one to Ferguson Street and the other to Campbell Street. Sergeant Idrissa Kallon, who has already been convicted in a separate court martial, provided Kuyateh with a Light Machine Gun (LMG) and instructed him to supply grenades to Mansaray, who continued firing RPGs during the assault.
The court also heard harrowing accounts of how the attackers used a military vehicle to repeatedly ram the gates of Pademba Road Prison, ultimately breaching the entrance and facilitating the escape of inmates. Kuyateh disclosed that he and Mansaray were later assigned to Dwazack Junction to thwart loyal government forces from regaining control of the prison. Mansaray reportedly fired multiple RPGs toward the New England and Special Court areas to deter advancing loyalist troops.
As government forces launched a counter-offensive, Mansaray sustained a leg injury during the exchange of fire at Dwazack Junction. Kuyateh recounted how Mansaray, in severe pain, pleaded to be taken to Waterloo for medical assistance, leading them to stop at several police stations along the way.
The trial continues as the prosecution builds its case against the accused soldiers, seeking to unravel the full scope of the failed coup attempt.
