FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, May 7, 2025– The ongoing industrial unrest at Koidu Holdings Limited has escalated into a high-stakes legal and political standoff, with the company’s parent group, Octea Limited, formally threatening legal action against First Lady Fatima Maada Bio.
In a strongly worded notice dated May 6, 2025, and addressed to the Office of the First Lady, Octea accused Madam Bio of unlawful interference, incitement, defamation, and actions that have caused “severe and ongoing damage” to its operations, reputation, and investment in Sierra Leone.
The letter, signed by Octea’s Director and General Counsel, Gustaf Fredrik Bodin, alleges that the First Lady’s public remarks and direct involvement in the mineworkers’ protest triggered a chain of events that forced the complete shutdown of Koidu Holdings’ operations in March. The company has placed the mine into a state of care and maintenance, citing threats to personnel, breaches of national law, and a deteriorating business climate.
This legal development follows a series of tense episodes that began on March 3, 2025, when hundreds of Koidu mineworkers launched a strike to demand better pay, reinstatement of dismissed employees, and improved working conditions. On the third day of the protest, First Lady Fatima Bio visited the site in Kono District and publicly accused Koidu Holdings of exploiting workers and depriving the government of vital revenues. She vowed to take the matter to the Anti-Corruption Commission, declaring her solidarity as a “daughter of Kono.”
The First Lady’s intervention was met with praise from many workers and civil society advocates but drew sharp rebuke from the company, which maintained the strike was illegal under Sierra Leone’s Industrial Relations and Trade Union Act of 2023. Despite initial efforts at mediation, the dispute remained unresolved, prompting the Ministry of Employment, Labour, and Social Security to issue a series of recommendations, including improved benefits and a new diamond-linked bonus structure.
Though some progress was briefly made, with an agreement reached to implement bonus payments beginning April 2, Koidu Holdings later claimed that continued threats and unrest made safe operation impossible. On March 20, the company formally suspended all mining activities and requested urgent government intervention.
In its latest communication, Octea outlines a list of accusations against the First Lady, including inciting illegal protests, promoting falsehoods about company corruption, obstructing employees’ return to work, and making defamatory statements on public platforms. The company alleges that her conduct not only violated national laws but also posed a threat to Sierra Leone’s international image and investor confidence.
Octea claims financial damages exceeding $16 million since the strike began, with an additional $20 million required to restart operations. It further alleges reputational damage that could impair the country’s ability to attract foreign direct investment, particularly in the extractive sector.
The company is demanding a full public retraction from the First Lady, a cease and desist from further statements or actions targeting the company, and payment of the $20 million necessary to recommence mining. Octea has also signaled its intent to pursue litigation in multiple jurisdictions, including the High Court of Sierra Leone, the Royal Court of Guernsey, where the company is resident, and international human rights bodies.
The legal threat raises the stakes in what has become one of Sierra Leone’s most contentious labor disputes in recent history. It also places the government in a delicate position, as it balances investor confidence with growing public scrutiny over mining sector governance and accountability.
As of this publication, the Office of the First Lady has not issued a public response. The government, too, has remained silent in the face of the legal ultimatum, though ministers had previously acknowledged the gravity of the unrest and pledged to support a peaceful resolution.
