The federal government says it’s in full management following an armed assault within the capital and a nationwide curfew.
Sierra Leone has arrested a lot of the leaders of an armed assault within the capital that has prompted the federal government to declare a nationwide curfew, the nation’s president has mentioned.
“Most of the leaders have been arrested. Security operations and investigations are ongoing,” President Julius Maada Bio mentioned on nationwide tv on Sunday following armed clashes in Freetown after what the federal government mentioned was an assault on a army armoury.
The federal government mentioned it repelled the assault and was in command of the scenario. The incident occurred amid months of post-election unrest within the West African nation.
The “government is in firm control of the security situation in Freetown, the attackers are retreating”, info minister Chernor Bah advised the AFP information company.
Sierra Leone’s civil aviation authority additionally urged the airways to reschedule flights.
An AFP journalist mentioned calm was slowly returning to the capital by Sunday night however checkpoints closely guarded by safety forces remained in place.
“We are trying to collate the number of arrests and casualties,” Bah mentioned, including that “those responsible for today’s attack will be hunted down to face the full force of the law”.
Movies posted on social media appeared to indicate males in uniform underneath arrest within the again or beside a army pick-up truck.
Earlier within the day, witnesses advised AFP they heard gunshots and explosions within the metropolis’s Wilberforce district, the place the armoury and a few embassies are situated.
Different witnesses reported exchanges of fireside close to a barracks within the Murray City district, residence to the navy, and out of doors one other army website in Freetown.
The knowledge ministry reported assaults on prisons earlier within the day that obliged the safety forces to retreat. “The prisons were thus overrun” with some detainees launched and others “abducted”, it mentioned.
Video posted on social networks steered quite a few prisoners had escaped from the central jail.
In an announcement issued on Sunday, West Africa’s regional bloc, the Financial Neighborhood of West African States (ECOWAS), condemned the try and “disturb constitutional order” in Sierra Leone.
Rising unrest since President’s re-election
Sierra Leone has seen political violence and unrest for the reason that re-election of President Bio in June.
That election was the fifth for the reason that finish of Sierra Leone’s brutal 11-year civil struggle – greater than 20 years in the past – which left tens of 1000’s lifeless and destroyed the nation’s financial system.
Worldwide observers condemned the “lack of transparency” within the poll rely and Sierra Leone’s opposition get together initially disputed the outcomes and boycotted the federal government.
Since his electoral victory 5 months in the past, Bio continues to face criticism due to debilitating financial circumstances. Practically 60 p.c of Sierra Leone’s inhabitants of greater than 7 million are impoverished and youth unemployment is among the many highest in West Africa.
The unrest in Sierra Leone comes after a collection of army coups which have dealt blows to democracy within the area. There have been eight army coups in West and Central Africa since 2020, together with in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea.
