The Dutch hunt for 'Bolle Jos' in Sierra Leone: how the Netherlands is building a West African coalition to force Jos Leijdekkers’ extradition

For more than a year, the Dutch government has been deploying every diplomatic tool at its disposal to bring convicted drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers — better known as “Bolle Jos” — back to the Netherlands. Direct talks with Sierra Leone have yielded little. Attempts to rally European support for financial pressure have so far failed. Even discussions about more unconventional options have surfaced behind the scenes. Yet recent developments suggest that The Hague is not backing down. Instead, it is widening the battlefield. After months of frustration, Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel is now attempting a new strategy: building a regional coalition around Sierra Leone itself. Read on for the full story.