Nov. 26 (UPI) — Sierra Leone’s president declared a nationwide curfew Sunday after gunmen attacked the military’s main and largest barracks in the West African nation’s capital and then overran detention centers, including a major prison.
“In the early hours of this morning, there was a breach of security at the Military Barracks at Wilberforce in Freetown, as some unidentified individuals attacked the military armory,” President Julius Maada Bio wrote in a social media post.
However, they were repelled by the country’s Security Forces and “calm has been restored” as they continue to seek out “fleeing renegades,” Bio said.
“A nationwide curfew has been declared and citizens are encouraged to stay indoors,” Bio said, adding that Sierra Leone remains “resolute” in its determination to protect democracy.
The detention centers of Pademba Road Prisons, which house more than 2,000 inmates, were attacked as security forces fought to restore calm during shootouts at the Wilberforce military barracks, according to Information Minister Chernor Bah.
“The prisons were overrun (and) some prisoners were abducted by the assailants while many others were released,” Bah said. Security forces managed to “push back” the assailants to the outskirts of the city where fighting continues.
“The security forces are making progress in the operation to defeat and apprehend those responsible for today’s attacks,” Bah continued. “The government remains in control and on top of the situation.”
Despite the assurances of Maada and Bah, there were reports of gunfire in the city, and it was not clear where it was coming from or whether any arrests had been made.
Countries in West and Central Africa have seen an increase in violent attacks like these in recent years, some resulting in military coup attempts and raising fears of a structural government breakdown in other parts of the region.
The governments of Niger and Gabon have been overthrown by military factions this year and there was a second coup attempt in Burkina Faso, which was foiled by the military junta that claimed power just last year in an initial coup.
An escalation of violence poses a threat to Sierra Leon’s 8 million residents who are among the poorest in the world, as ranked by the U.N. Human Development Index.
There were no details made available about who the gunmen were or the reason for the attacks, and come a few months after Bio’s reelection in which the main opposition party accused election officials of cheating.
West Africa’s regional economic bloc ECOWAS, of which Sierra Leone is a member, called the incident a plot “to acquire arms and disturb the peace and constitutional order” in the country.
ECOWAS, which has worked to reverse the surge in coups in West and Central Africa, has recorded eight military takeovers since 2020.