By Osman Marah
The Government of Sierra Leone has issued a clarification after reports linked the European Union’s decision to delay its 2026 budget-support disbursement to ongoing discussions with the Netherlands over judicial cooperation.
In a press release dated 1 October 2026, the Ministry of Information and Civic Education says the European Commission formally communicated its decision in July, and that the reasons given were related to the timing of Sierra Leone’s request to amend the Financing Agreement and the resulting difficulty of completing the required processes within the 2026 reporting cycle.
The Government says the Commission consequently proposed rescheduling the 2026 and 2027 disbursements to 2027 and 2028, with targets for 2027 already agreed.
The Government acknowledges that postponing this year’s disbursement is a setback, but says it does not amount to a suspension of the broader Sierra Leone–EU partnership.
The clarification comes as fresh reports from the Netherlands today say the EU has suspended €18 million in financial support to Sierra Leone, with Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel linking the move to Sierra Leone’s alleged refusal to cooperate in the arrest and extradition of convicted Dutch drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, also known as “Bolle Jos.”
However, Sierra Leone’s government says EU representatives subsequently made clear that the July decision was not taken as a consequence of discussions concerning any particular individual or case.
The Government further says reports portraying the EU’s July decision as a new punitive measure linked to a particular individual or case do not reflect the reasons formally communicated to Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone says it remains committed to international cooperation against transnational organized crime and to judicial cooperation with all partners, while insisting that such matters should be addressed through lawful processes, mutual respect and sustained engagement between competent authorities.
The Government says it remains confident in the strength of its partnership with the EU and looks forward to continued engagement towards the 2027 disbursement and broader cooperation programme.
This is a developing story.
