Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio declared a nationwide curfew and shut down internet service after at least 21 protesters and eight police officers were killed during violent anti-government demonstrations on Wednesday. 13 civilians were killed in Freetown, while four fatalities were recorded in Makeni and another four in Kamakwie.
Youth Minister Mohamed Orman Bangura in a statement to CNN alleged that the protests marked an attempted coup that was “planned, calculated, and financed” by opposition party All People’s Congress (APC).
He asked, “If the protest is as a result of the cost of living, why is it not happening in all the strongholds of the current government?”
1. Sierra Leone’s army has been put on the streets to push back against demonstrations.
— Hopewell Chin’ono (@daddyhope) August 10, 2022
The Government has imposed a nationwide curfew amid deadly anti-government protests.
The protests have been triggered by rising inflation, a fuel crisis and an unprofessional Justice system. pic.twitter.com/CahnPxzyIm
Comparing the protests to “riots” and “acts of terrorism,” Bangura said that “protesting is different from acting as a terrorist...going against the state, killing young police officers.”
However, Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, an APC member, has dismissed the government’s allegations, saying, “This is not about party but about people.” She pled for an end to the violence.
Describing the incidents as “unfortunate,” President Bio, who is presently on a private visit to the United Kingdom, stated that “as a government, we have the responsibility to protect every citizen of Sierra Leone,” and vowed to “fully investigate” the violence, while appealing to citizens to remain calm.
As a government, we have the responsibility to protect every citizen of Sierra Leone. What happened today was unfortunate and will be fully investigated. I urge all Sierra Leoneans to be calm.
— President Julius Maada Bio (@PresidentBio) August 10, 2022
Meanwhile, Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh denounced the “violent and unauthorised protest” by “unscrupulous individuals” and echoed Youth Minister Bangura’s claims of an attempted coup. He thus imposed an indefinite nationwide curfew from 7 pm to 7 am and authorised security personnel to “maintain law and order.” In fact, 113 suspects have already been arrested.
The government also imposed a near-total internet shutdown, while also increasing its monitoring of social media platforms for “incendiary information” that could “destabilise the state.”
A three-day anti-government demonstration erupted in the west African nation on Wednesday due to frustrations over Bio’s abuse of power, public sector corruption, and most importantly, rising prices of food, fuel, and electricity. People demanded the president’s resignation, with placards reading “Bio must go!” Tensions fanned as protesters pelted stones and sticks at security personnel and vandalised public buildings, burnt tyres, and caused road blockades.
Why are African leaders quick to send soldiers on the street? 🤔 People are protesting in #SierraLeone over rising cost of living. Government sent soldiers on the streets 😔 Why not just listen to the people? Internet was shut down for hours#SierraLeoneProtests pic.twitter.com/EZ9DPpi8KB
— Adeola Fayehun (@AdeolaFayehun) August 11, 2022
Several international actors have expressed concern at the violence in Sierra Leone In a statement yesterday, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said she was “alarmed” by reports of severe casualties during the protests, and demanded a “prompt, impartial, and thorough investigation” to bring those “responsible to account regardless of their status and political affiliation.” To this end, she urged all stakeholders to “embrace dialogue,” while cautioning the government to “facilitate rather than seek to prevent peaceful protests, and desist from unnecessary and disproportionate responses.”
This was seconded by the UN’s resident coordinator in the country, Babatunde Ahonsi, who shared the UN’s offer to mediate peace talks between protesters and the authorities.
⚠️ Confirmed: Real-time network data show that #SierraLeone is in the midst of a near-total internet shutdown amid anti-government protests in #Freetown; metrics indicate national connectivity at 5% of ordinary levels; incident ongoing 📵
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) August 10, 2022
📰 Report: https://t.co/i33uW9Cq85 pic.twitter.com/k0Xg73cq2k
In a similar vein, African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat appealed for a “constructive dialogue to maintain the stability that Sierra Leone has enjoyed since the end of civil war.”
Likewise, West African regional bloc ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) called on all sides “to obey law and order and for the perpetrators of the violence to be identified and brought to justice.”
This citizen uprising, though a rare occurrence in the largely peaceful west African nation, has evoked painful memories of a decade-long civil war that battered the country between 1992 and 2002, killing at least 120,000 people. In this respect, Office of National Security spokesperson Abdul Karim Will cautioned the people that “Sierra Leone has gone through a lot so let us change the trajectory and not allow people to divide us.”
We are gravely concerned by reports of violence surrounding today’s demonstrations in Sierra Leone. We urge all parties to stay calm, promote accountability, and ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
— Bureau of African Affairs (@AsstSecStateAF) August 10, 2022
Civil society members have expressed concerns over the government’s repression, saying it has shown “little empathy” despite the country being mired in “tough economic times.”
The cost of living has surged by over 40% in a country where more than 50% of the population already lives below the poverty line. Sierra Leone also ranks 182 out of 189 countries on the United Nations’ Human Development Index.
Wednesday’s uprising is likely to weaken President Bio’s chances of re-election next year, after he was elected in 2018 via a narrow margin of just 51.81%.