By Kadijatu Bangura, Daily Scope Reporter
FREETOWN / STRASBOURG, Wednesday, September 16, 2026 — Sierra Leone is back on the European Union’s sanctions radar as the European Parliament prepares to vote tomorrow, Thursday, on a resolution targeting countries that fail to cooperate in the extradition of convicted drug traffickers, with Freetown at the centre of the row.
The case involves Dutch fugitive Jos Leijdekkers, alias “Bolle Jos,” convicted in absentia in the Netherlands and Belgium and described by Europol and Dutch prosecutors as a major figure in the international cocaine trade.
The European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, which runs from September 14 to 17, has listed the resolution for Thursday. If adopted, it is expected to call for strengthened judicial cooperation between the EU and West Africa and urge the European Commission to consider diplomatic and financial measures against Sierra Leone, including possible restrictions on development assistance and targeted visa measures against senior officials.
Dutch MEP Malik Azmani has been at the forefront of the push, urging the European Commission in June to increase pressure on Freetown to facilitate Leijdekkers’ extradition.
The Netherlands, according to Dutch government documents, has repeatedly requested Sierra Leone’s cooperation and has been working with EU and international partners to ramp up pressure. The Hague has also raised the possibility of suspending EU development cooperation with Sierra Leone, although member states have not yet reached agreement on such a move.
Sierra Leone maintains it does not know Leijdekkers’ whereabouts and has rejected some of the allegations, questioning aspects of the Dutch approach.
The development puts at risk about €352 million allocated to Sierra Leone by the European Commission under its 2021–2027 development cooperation framework. The funding has not been automatically cancelled, and any suspension would require separate institutional decisions.
While a European Parliament resolution would not by itself impose sanctions, it would significantly increase political pressure and set the stage for tougher EU action.
The vote underscores how the Leijdekkers case has become a major diplomatic test for Sierra Leone’s relations with the Netherlands and the wider EU.
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