Sierra Leone has summoned its ambassador back from Guinea after seven suitcases containing suspected cocaine were discovered in a vehicle belonging to the embassy, according to the foreign minister on Thursday.
On Monday, authorities in Guinea seized an embassy vehicle from Sierra Leone and arrested the driver and another passenger on the grounds of suspected cocaine possession, Foreign Minister Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba informed reporters.
“In light of this serious development, the government has urgently recalled Sierra Leone’s ambassador to Guinea, Ambassador Mr Alimamy Bangura, to Freetown to provide a full account of the incident,” he added.
“A thorough investigation has been launched to determine how this incident occurred and to hold all responsible parties accountable,” Kabba said, adding that the governments of the two West African countries were cooperating.
He confirmed that Bangura was not present in the vehicle and is not facing arrest, adding that authorities discovered $2,000 in cash alongside the seven suitcases of suspected cocaine, though he did not disclose the total weight in kilograms.
According to a 2024 report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, at least 126.4 tonnes of cocaine were confiscated in, en route to, or from West Africa between January 2019 and June 2024.
