Sierra Leone declares nationwide curfew after attack on barracks: ‘we’ll clean this society’
- Some inmates escaped from the central prison in capital city Freetown, and sporadic gunfire was still heard in the city’s empty streets near the barracks on Sunday
- Tensions in Sierra Leone have remained high since the re-election of President Julius Maada Bio in a disputed election in June
Sierra Leone has declared a nationwide curfew after unidentified gunmen attacked a military barracks and attempted to break into an armoury in the capital, Freetown, the government said on Sunday.
A government statement said security forces were in control of the situation.
“In the early hours of Sunday, some unidentified individuals attempted to break into the military armoury at the Wilberforce barracks. They have been rebuffed,” information minister Chernor Bah said.
“A nationwide curfew has been declared with immediate effect … We strongly advise citizens to stay indoors,” the statement added.
A senior official who requested anonymity said the central prison in Freetown was open, and some inmates had escaped. The prison, designed to hold 324 inmates, held over 2,000 in 2019, according to a US State Department report.