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On Thursday, 24th October 2024, the Court Martial trying seven soldiers linked to last year’s coup attempt heard a damning voluntary caution statement from the fifth accused, Lance Corporal Ibrahim Kuyateh.
His statement, read aloud by the second prosecution witness, Sergeant O.T. Bangura, shed new light on the attack, revealing that a man named Sorieba Mansaray was responsible for firing a Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) at the Joint Force Commander’s (JFC) vehicle during the violent coup attempt at Murray Town Junction in November 2023.
According to Kuyateh’s statement, Mansaray, who was in charge of RPG operations throughout the assault, blasted the JFC’s vehicle as part of the group’s strategy to destabilize key military targets. Kuyateh explained that the attack took place after he was captured and disarmed by the attackers while on duty at the Cockerill Military Headquarters. He recounted that after performing his morning Islamic prayers on November 25, 2023, he heard an RPG explosion within the military compound and was forced to join the insurgents.
The accused detailed how the group of attackers argued over their next move—whether to attack the Joint Logistics Unit or proceed to Pademba Road Prison—before ultimately deciding on the prison. It was during this moment at Murray Town Junction that they encountered a vehicle marked “JFC”, and Mansaray, referred to by the alias “Stone”, launched an RPG at the vehicle. The blast forced military personnel to flee from the wrecked vehicle, and Kuyateh said that soon after, the attackers began arresting and forcing police officers to join their ranks.
The statement further elaborated on the group’s actions as they approached Pademba Road Prison. Kuyateh recalled that Amadu Koita, another attacker, ordered the troops to split into two groups, one to take Ferguson Street and the other to remain on Campbell Street. Sergeant Idrissa Kallon, who has already been convicted in a separate court martial, gave Kuyateh a Light Machine Gun (LMG) and tasked him with supplying grenades to Mansaray, who continued to fire RPGs during the assault.
The court also heard chilling details of how the attackers used a military vehicle to repeatedly ram the gates of Pademba Road Prison, eventually breaching the entrance and allowing inmates to escape. Kuyateh revealed that he and Mansaray were later deployed to Dwazack Junction to prevent loyal government forces from reclaiming control of the prison. Mansaray reportedly fired multiple RPGs toward the New England and Special Court areas to ward off advancing loyalist troops.
As government forces mounted a counter-offensive, Mansaray was shot in the leg during the exchange of fire at Dwazack Junction. According to Kuyateh, Mansaray, now in severe pain, was placed in a military vehicle and pleaded to be taken to Waterloo for medical attention. Kuyateh described how they stopped at multiple police stations on their way, seeking refuge.
The trial continues as the prosecution builds its case against the accused soldiers, aiming to unravel the full scope of the failed coup attempt.
