Authorities in Sierra Leone imposed a nationwide curfew on Sunday, hours after what they described as a foiled attempt by unknown men to break into one of the West African country’s main military armories and barracks.
The country’s president, Julius Maada Bio, said early on Sunday that there had been “a security breach” at the Wilberforce military barracks in the capital Freetown, when “some unidentified individuals attacked the military arsenal.”
“However, they were rejected,” Mr. Bio said on social media“and peace is restored.”
Mr Bio urged the public to stay indoors, adding: “We will continue to protect the peace and security of Sierra Leone against the forces that seek to curtail our cherished stability.”
The barracks are strategically placed near Mr. Bio’s home, and the armory is one of the main places where weapons are kept. According to local journalists Heavy gunfire could be heard in Freetown early on Sunday, with soldiers firing rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles could see setting up military blockades in some strategic parts of the city.
The news reverberated throughout the region, which has endured in recent years a series of military coups. In GuineaIn Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone’s neighboring country, a junta rules despite international efforts to do so restore civilian governments.
Mr Bio, 59, a former military officer who took part in two coups during Sierra Leone’s civil war in the 1990s, was re-elected this year. But the vote’s outcome was rejected by his main opponent and questioned by some observers who cited a lack of transparency.
The US Embassy condemned Sunday’s attempted break-in “in the strongest possible terms” and urged residents to cooperate with government security forces. “Such actions have no justification whatsoever,” the report said in a statement.
Under Mr Bio’s leadership, another million children in Sierra Leone have gone to school. But the country is having difficulty with it record levels of inflation and unemployment, and some of the highest levels of food insecurity in West Africa. He is also accused of overseeing the violent suppression of protests, including in the summer of 2022, when more than 20 people were killed demonstrations against rising prices.
This is a development story.
Joseph Johnson reporting contributed.