An Associated Press investigation has found that Sierra Leonean officials facilitated the illegal construction of mansions inside a key national park, in what conservationists describe as one of the most serious encroachment cases in the country's recent history.

The park — one of the last significant blocks of closed-canopy forest near the capital — is home to endangered wildlife and forms a critical part of the Freetown watershed. Investigators documented that land documents and official acquiescence enabled the construction of luxury homes on protected territory.

Environmental groups say the case reflects a broader pattern in which protected areas are whittled away by well-connected individuals, while enforcement agencies lack the resources and political backing to act. Illegal logging, sand mining and land speculation have accelerated pressure on the country's remaining forest cover.

The findings echo the dispute at Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, where encroachment forced a months-long closure protest. Activists argue that the two cases together show that judicial follow-through, not just policy announcements, will determine the survival of Sierra Leone's protected areas.

Government responses to the investigation's findings are still being awaited, and campaigners are calling for an independent audit of land titles issued within park boundaries and prosecutions where wrongdoing is established.

Source: Associated Press.