Government says EU’s July decision to postpone 2026 budget support was based on financing procedures, not the extradition dispute involving Dutch fugitive Jos “Bolle Jos” Leijdekkers
The government of Sierra Leone has rejected claims that the European Union (EU) withheld financial support because of the country’s handling of a Dutch fugitive wanted for drug trafficking.
In a statement, the government said the European Commission had formally communicated its decision to postpone the 2026 budget-support disbursement in July, citing delays linked to a request to amend a financing agreement.
It said the timing of the request had made it difficult to complete the necessary procedures within the 2026 reporting cycle.
The Commission proposed moving the 2026 and 2027 payments to 2027 and 2028, respectively, the government said, adding that targets for the 2027 disbursement had already been agreed.
The statement comes after Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel was reported to have said the EU had stopped financial support to Sierra Leone over its alleged failure to cooperate in the case of Jos “Bolle Jos” Leijdekkers.
Leijdekkers, a convicted Dutch drug trafficker, is wanted by authorities in the Netherlands and other European countries.
The Dutch government has been pressing Sierra Leone to cooperate in securing his arrest and extradition.
But Sierra Leone says the EU’s decision was not linked to the case.
EU representatives had subsequently made clear to the government that the July decision was not taken because of discussions concerning any particular individual, the statement said.
“Reports presenting the EU’s July decision as a new punitive measure related to a particular individual or case therefore do not reflect the reasons formally communicated to the Government,” it added.
The government acknowledged that postponing the payment was a setback but said it did not mean the wider partnership with the EU had been suspended.
Sierra Leone said it remained committed to international cooperation against organised crime and to judicial cooperation with its partners, in accordance with national laws and established legal procedures.
It also criticised what it described as attempts to use development assistance to exert pressure on the country.
“Attempts to instrumentalize development cooperation or exert pressure on Sierra Leone through public threats and media campaigns are unhelpful,” the statement said.
The government said such matters should be addressed through legal processes, mutual respect and continued engagement between the relevant authorities.
The dispute has raised questions about the reasons behind the EU’s decision and the relationship between development assistance and international judicial cooperation.
The European Commission has yet to publicly provide a detailed explanation addressing the difference between the account given by Sierra Leone and the Dutch minister’s claims.
The government said it remained confident in its relationship with the EU and looked forward to further engagement ahead of the planned 2027 disbursement.
