By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
The United States has deported Charles Mbayo, a former high-ranking junta member in Sierra Leone, over his alleged involvement in war crimes and human rights violations.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed on Monday that Mbayo, who had been in its custody since June 30, was flown back to Sierra Leone on August 20.
“HSI is committed to ensuring that there is no safe haven in the United States for those tied to these horrific crimes,” said Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent with the Homeland Security Investigations team in Detroit. “We will continue to investigate these allegations with the assistance of the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Centre to seek both accountability and justice in these cases,” Murphey said.
ICE described Mbayo as a “war criminal and criminal illegal alien.” He was once a powerful figure in the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC), the military junta that seized power in Sierra Leone after overthrowing President Joseph Momoh in a bloody coup on April 29, 1992.
The NPRC gained notoriety for extrajudicial killings, torture, and mass burials of victims, including government officials and civilians.
Although Mbayo entered the U.S. legally in 1998 on a student visa, he overstayed and lost his bid for permanent residency in July 2023, becoming an undocumented immigrant.
