Sierra Leone Declares a Nationwide Curfew in Response to Violent Anti-Government Protests

Sierra Leone Declares a Nationwide Curfew in Response to Violent Anti-Government Protests

Sierra Leone declared a nationwide curfew in reaction to a violent anti-government protest on Wednesday, August 10th that claimed the lives of over two dozen people, including security personnel and police officers.

Police reports say that dozens of people died in anti-government rallies in Sierra Leone on Thursday, substantially increasing the number of fatalities from the previous day’s clashes while horrified residents generally hid behind closed doors in the capital city of Freetown.

According to reports, hundreds of people rushed to the streets in frustration at the recent economic hardship saying they believe it is the government that has failed to mitigate the rising prices. This protest has resulted in the deaths of six police officers and at least 21 civilians.

A national curfew was implemented starting at 3 p.m. local time (15:00 GMT) in the West African country, which has been battling soaring inflation and a fuel crisis.

A police officer from Freetown was seen in a Reuters-verified video shooting into a crowd.

Sulaiman Turay, a 19-year-old resident of east Freetown, after participating in a brief march before police began using tear gas, said he witnessed protesters being fired at from his porch.

He told Reuters, “I think people are shocked. It’s not the country we know. Sierra Leone is a peaceful place.”

According to President Julius Maada Bio, the circumstances surrounding Wednesday’s events would be “thoroughly investigated.”

Other authenticated photos taken in Freetown showed the use of teargas and smoke clouds as massive groups tossed rocks and set tires on fire while armed police officers patrolled the streets.

A majority of the demonstrations took place in the nation’s capital.

Still on Sierra Leone Nationwide Curfew…

The frustration of the people of Sierra Leone has increased recently due to the rise in prices for basic necessities in the country. According to reports from the World Bank, more than half of the 8 million people in Sierra Leone live below the poverty line.

Constitutional lawyer and governance activist Augustine Sorie-Sengbe Marrah cited one of the causes of the rise in public unrest as a growing sense that the government is not helping the average person who is struggling. 

Workers at the city’s central morgue told news reporters that at least 13 civilians were shot and killed in Freetown. Four of the civilians were murdered in Kamakwie and another four of the victims were from Makeni, according to hospital sources.

Residents said that Freetown experienced an eerie silence on Thursday, August 11th as businesses were closed and many stayed indoors out of concern and fear about the unrest and violent protests.

In a tweet, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) stated that it condemned the violence and urged everyone to “obey the law and order.” The organization also called for those responsible for inciting the violence to be arrested and prosecuted.

Internet monitoring service NetBlocks said that there were two hours of internet outages on Wednesday and Thursday.

The government issued a 3 p.m. curfew on Wednesday in an effort to stop the violence, and police announced that the curfew will be in place from Thursday from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. local time.

According to an internal letter widely circulated online, the national security coordinator requested the armed forces be ready to support the police from August 9 to 12 and warned of a “potentially volatile security situation” on Tuesday, before the protests began.