Sierra Leone has successfully thwarted an attack by renegade soldiers on a military armoury in the capital city of Freetown. The government has declared calm and imposed a nationwide curfew in response to the incident. The civil aviation authority has requested airlines to reschedule flights, and the country's border with Guinea has been temporarily closed. The tense situation arose following the re-election of President Julius Maada Bio in June, a result disputed by the main opposition candidate and international partners.
During the early hours of Sunday, an armed group attempted to break into a police barrack near the Wilberforce barracks in Freetown. A Reuters journalist present at the scene witnessed this group commandeering a police vehicle. Empty streets were observed in the vicinity afterwards. One of the masked men, dressed in military attire, stated that their mission was to clean society and that they were not targeting ordinary civilians.
According to Sierra Leone's interior minister, David Taluva, the assailants initially attacked the police barrack but ran out of ammunition. They subsequently seized additional arms from police officers. Sustained gunfire could still be heard in some parts of Freetown later in the day, while residents remained indoors. Sierra Leone's information minister, Chernor Bah, affirmed that most of Freetown was under the control of security forces. The assailants were engaged in the Jui district on the outskirts of the city.
The situation escalated further when the Pademba Road prisons and other major detention centers were attacked, and inmates were released by the unidentified assailants. It remains unclear how many prisoners escaped from the facility, which was originally designed for 324 inmates but was reported to house over 2,000 in 2019. Videos circulated on social media showed individuals fleeing the vicinity while gunshots echoed in the background. The government issued a statement confirming the prison break and urging the public to stay indoors during the nationwide curfew.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the attempt by certain individuals to disrupt the constitutional order and acquire arms in Sierra Leone. Similarly, the U.S. embassy in Freetown stated that such actions were not justified. Meanwhile, President Bio praised the security forces for their efforts in repelling the assailants and restoring calm. He emphasized the commitment to safeguarding the peace and security of Sierra Leone against any threat to stability.
This incident comes at a time of heightened political tension in Sierra Leone, exacerbated by the disputed election result and the aftermath of anti-government protests in August 2022. Sierra Leone is still recovering from a devastating civil war that took place from 1991 to 2002, and the recent events have further tested the country's stability. The successful response by security forces to the attack on the military armoury and subsequent prison break is crucial in maintaining peace and upholding the democratic order in the region.