Nov 28, 2023 at 8:15 p.m
Last weekend’s attacks in Sierra Leone were part of a failed coup. The authorities stated this at a press conference on Tuesday. The attacks in the capital Freetown killed 20 people and some 1,890 prisoners managed to escape.
According to Minister Chernor Bah and army chief Patrick Lavahun, bodyguards of former President Ernest Bai Koroma were mainly involved in the attacks. It is being investigated whether Bai Koroma himself had something to do with this.
Bai Koroma was the country’s elected president from 2007 to 2018. He was reformist and popular, but was prohibited by law from running for a third time in the 2018 presidential election.
Julius Maada Wonie Bio is now president of Sierra Leone. He was re-elected in June this year with 56 percent of the votes, according to official figures. But the opposition party and Western observers believe fraud has been committed. Since then, tensions have been rising in the West African country.
After attacks in several places in Freetown, the city went into lockdown. Twenty people were killed in the attacks. A prison in the center of the capital was also targeted. About 1,890 prisoners managed to escape.
Nov 26, 2023 at 3:34 p.m
Sierra Leone in lockdown after attack by armed men in the capital
Image: ANP/EPA
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2023-11-28 19:15:45
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