EU Froze Sierra Leone Aid for Harboring Alleged Drug Kingpin, Netherlands Says

The EU has suspended ~€18 million in budget support to Sierra Leone amid accusations that the country is sheltering Dutch fugitive Joseph "Jos" Leijdekkers, an alleged cocaine kingpin convicted in absentia in the Netherlands and Belgium. Dutch and EU officials framed the suspension as a response to non-cooperation on extradition and organized crime concerns, while Sierra Leone and an EU commissioner said the delay was due to technical or procedural reasons; reactions include calls for stronger sanctions regimes and concerns about impacts on Sierra Leonean livelihoods.