Three soldiers and several former militia fighters...

Three soldiers and several former militia fighters were among 15 people charged with treason for allegedly trying to overthrow the government of this newly peaceful West African nation.
Prosecutors charged that they took part in a January 13 attack on a Freetown military base. The attack was repelled by United Nations peacekeepers and security forces.
Authorities called the attack a coup attempt, saying it was the most serious assault on civil authority since Sierra Leone declared an end to a decade-long civil war in 2002.
Officials said 77 suspects have been arrested since the attack. Of them, 22 have been released and 15 were charged, while charges are pending on the remainder.
Besides the soldiers, several former members of an anti-government militia known as the West Side Boys were also charged. The maximum penalty if convicted of treason is death.
The court adjourned until March 10. The accused were denied bail.
Sierra Leone's rebels waged a decade-long campaign to win control of the country's government and diamond fields. Forces deployed by the United Nations, former colonial ruler Britain and neighbouring Guinea finally helped crush the insurgency.