From News Editor
No fewer than 13 military officers have been arrested after a failed coup attempt in Sierra Leone, targeting the main military barracks and prisons, the government’s spokesperson stated this on Tuesday.
During a press briefing, Information Minister Chernor Bah revealed that the assailants aimed to “overthrow the elected government of Sierra Leone.” The coordinated attacks occurred early Sunday in Freetown, the typically tranquil capital, catching security forces and residents off guard.
Bah confirmed, “Thirteen military officers are currently in custody, and one other civilian… in this incident, we are now calling a failed coup.”
This incident comes a few months after President Julius Maada Bio secured a disputed re-election for a second term in June. The attempted coup adds to the growing political tensions in West and Central Africa, where the region has witnessed an increase in military takeovers, including those in Niger and Gabon in the same year.
The disturbance began with the sound of heavy gunfire in Freetown as the attackers, numbering in the dozens, infiltrated the primary armory near the heavily guarded presidential villa within the country’s largest military barracks. Additionally, two prisons, including the central facility with over 2,000 inmates, were targeted. Colonel Sulaiman Massaquoi, the acting head of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service, reported the release of most inmates.
Apart from the military officers, a civilian was also arrested in connection with the attack. Over 100 of the freed inmates voluntarily returned to the prisons, while a manhunt was underway for escaping suspects.
Security forces faced gunshots during the arrest of a person of interest on Tuesday. The Chief of Defense Staff, Lt. Gen. Peter Lavahun, informed the briefing that the armory lacked closed-circuit television (CCTV), but efforts were underway to assess the extent of weapons seized. Lavahun stated, “We were able to recover two vehicles containing arms and ammunition that were carted away.”
The situation prompted a lockdown in Freetown, with many residents staying indoors. The country had recently transitioned from a 24-hour curfew to a nighttime lockdown.
Sierra Leone has experienced political tensions since Bio’s contested reelection, marked by allegations of electoral rigging. In the aftermath of his victory, authorities had arrested several individuals, including senior military officers, accused of planning protests to disrupt peace.
The region remains fragile, with neighboring Guinea facing political instability following a 2021 coup. Sierra Leone itself is still recovering from an 11-year civil war that concluded over two decades ago. With a population of 8 million, the country ranks among the world’s poorest countries.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which Sierra Leone is a member, condemned the attacks and dispatched a delegation to express support and solidarity with the country’s president.
