Sierra Leone
The government said those who tried to break into an armory in the capital Freetown were repelled
Agence France Press in Freetown
Sunday, November 26, 2023, 10:53 a.m. GMT
A military armory in Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown was attacked on Sunday, the government said, imposing an immediate nationwide curfew.
The government said those who tried to break into the armory of a large barracks were repelled but the public was asked to stay at home.
Witnesses told AFP they heard gunshots and explosions in the Wilberforce district, where the armory and several embassies are located.
Other witnesses said they heard gunfire near a barracks in the Murray Town district, home of the Navy, and outside another military compound in Freetown.
Automatic gunfire and explosions could be heard on soundtracks posted on social media.
The streets of the capital were empty, witnesses said.
“The public is assured that the government and our state security forces are in control,” Information Minister Chernor Bah wrote in a public notice.
“To enable security forces to continue arresting the suspects, a nationwide curfew will be imposed across the country with immediate effect,” the minister said. No information was given about the alleged perpetrators of the attack or their motives.
Sierra Leone, an English-speaking country in West Africa, is in a political crisis following presidential and parliamentary elections in June this year.
There have been a number of military coups and attempted coups in West Africa since August 2020.
Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea, which borders Sierra Leone, have all come under military control.
The President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, also assured that calm had returned to the capital and urged people to stay indoors.
“There was a security breach at the Wilberforce military barracks in Freetown in the early hours of this morning when some unknown persons attacked the military armory.” he posted on X.
“Unknown persons attacked the military armory. However, they were repelled by our brave security forces and calm has been restored,” he said. “As the joint team of our security forces continues to locate the remains of the fleeing renegades, a nationwide curfew has been imposed and citizens are urged to remain indoors.”
He added that the government would “continue to protect the peace and security of Sierra Leone from the forces that seek to undermine our cherished stability,” and said the government was “committed to protecting democracy in Sierra Leone.”
Bio, who was first elected in 2018, was re-elected in June with 56.17% of the vote — slightly above the 55% needed to avoid a runoff.
International observers condemned inconsistencies and lack of transparency in the count, as well as acts of violence and intimidation.
The main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) disputed the results of the June 24 presidential, parliamentary and local elections and boycotted all levels of government.
The APC and the government signed an agreement in October following talks mediated by the Commonwealth, African Union and West African bloc ECOWAS.
The APC agreed to end its boycott and begin participating in government in exchange for an end to detentions and trials that it said were politically motivated.
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