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Add to Preferred SourcesThe European Commission (EC) has suspended €18 million (US$21 million) in financial aid to Sierra Leone over the country’s refusal to hand over Joseph Leijdekkers, according to Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel. Although the decision is justified by Brussels as a measure to force Sierra Leone to cooperate, it has also sparked debate over the purpose of the EU development aid.
According to the Dutch authorities, Leijdekkers has benefited from high-level protection in Sierra Leone since 2023. The Dutch national is a convicted drug trafficker and one of Europe’s most wanted fugitives. In the Netherlands, he was sentenced in absentia to 24 years in prison, while in Belgium his sentences total approximately 100 years for crimes including drug trafficking, assault, and robbery.
The suspended €18 million package for 2026 is part of a €65 million EU aid commitment to Sierra Leone. Van Weel said another €22.5 million promised for next year could also be suspended if Sierra Leone refuses to cooperate.
The European Commission said it would assess whether all required conditions had been met before transferring the money. European officials involved in the case affirm that cooperation in the field of justice, regarding the extradition of criminals involved in drug trafficking, was not among the initial aid-related requirements agreed upon between the EU and Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone Ministry of Information and Civic Education, however, rejected the interpretation that tied the aid suspension to Leijdekkers’s extradition, saying in an official press release that “EU representatives had also made clear in subsequent engagement with the Government that the decision concerning the 2026 disbursement was not taken as a consequence of discussions concerning any particular individual.”
The EU has previously suspended or withheld financial assistance to African governments for reasons such as human rights violations, conflicts, and military concerns, among other reasons. This time, however, the Sierra Leone case raises a different question: whether development financing can be used to influence a bilateral criminal justice dispute between an aid recipient country and an EU member state.
How much EU development funding goes to Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone is an important EU aid recipient, benefiting from significant support.
Thus, the €18 million currently on hold is only part of the EU’s allotment for this Western African country’s development envelope. Sierra Leone is supposed to receive an estimated €352 million in grants between 2021 and 2027 through the EU’s Global Europe instrument, also known as the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI). The EU’s cooperation with the country focuses on three main areas: green economic development, human development, and democratic governance and human rights.
But the payment at the center of the current dispute comes from a separate €90 million financing agreement ratified by Sierra Leone’s parliament in November 2024. Of this amount, €65 million was designated as direct budget support and €25 million as complementary support. The €18 million payment scheduled for 2026 is part of that €65 million budget-support package.
This also means that the current decision does not amount to a suspension of all EU development assistance to Sierra Leone. Only this tranche has been withheld while the Commission conducts its assessment.
Precedents of EU aid suspension for African countries
The Sierra Leone case is specific but not the first in which the EU decided to suspend financial aid for African countries.
Niger (July 2023) – €382 million
In July 2023, the European Union suspended financial aid and security cooperation with Niger following a military coup that removed democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum.
Somalia (September 2023) – approximately €70 million per year
In September 2023, the European Union temporarily suspended financial aid for Somalia. The measure was taken after a UN investigation that revealed large-scale fraud and misuse of international financial aid designed to support the vulnerable populations in the country. The EU later restructured the aid and resumed it under vigilant monitoring.
Mali and Burkina Faso (2021–2022) – €434 million
Following a series of military coups in the Sahel region, the EU froze direct budget support and military partnerships with the governments of Mali and Burkina Faso. The EU maintained only humanitarian aid to prevent a significant humanitarian crisis.
Ethiopia (2020–2021) – €88.5 million
During the conflict in Tigray, the EU postponed three budget-support payments of around €88.5 million. The decision was linked to concerns surrounding the conflict, including humanitarian access and alleged violations of human rights. At the same time, the EU continued humanitarian assistance for Ethiopians affected by the conflict.
Is aid suspension in the case of Sierra Leone setting a new precedent?
It is premature to suggest that the case of Sierra Leone will set a new precedent until further developments. Unlike the cases above, the currently suspended tranche of €18 million is not a response to a conflict or a humanitarian crisis. Dutch officials link it to the Netherlands’ effort to secure the extradition of a convicted criminal, a link Sierra Leone rejects.
According to van Weel, the Dutch Justice Minister, withholding €18 million alone may not exert decisive economic pressure on Sierra Leone, but it represents an “important signal”.
However, because extradition was never a condition of the agreement, tying the payment to it is complicated for Brussels.
It is known that the EU ties its financial aid to principles such as human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Aid freezes in Niger, Ethiopia, and Mali have shown that Brussels is willing to suspend direct financial support when these principles are infringed. It is too early to say whether the EU will change its line of decision-making, but the Sierra Leone case raises important questions for the future of EU aid.