Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio claims calm has been restored after the government said the attack had been repelled.

Sierra Leone has imposed a nationwide curfew after gunmen attacked a military barracks in the capital Freetown following months of unrest following elections in the West African country, according to a government statement.

Sierra Leone’s government said on Sunday it had repelled the attack on the military’s main Wilberforce barracks and had the situation under control.

Information Minister Chernor Bah assured the public in a opinion on Sunday that “the government and its state security forces are in control.”

Bah urged citizens to “stay indoors” as security forces “continue the process of arresting the suspects.”

Witnesses told AFP they heard heavy gunfire and explosions in the capital early Sunday morning while video was being recorded divided Clouds of smoke appeared to be seen rising from the streets on social media.

Other witnesses said they heard gunfire near a barracks in the Murray Town district, home of the navy, as well as outside another military compound in Freetown, AFP reported.

Government “under control”

Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio confirmed the security breach in a statement on his official X social media account on Sunday, blaming a group of “apostates” for the attack.

Bio said calm had been “restored” and security forces would continue to “eradicate the remnants of the fleeing renegades.” He called on all citizens to unite to protect democracy in the West African country.

“The PEACE of our beloved NATION is FREE and we will continue to protect the peace and security of Sierra Leone from the forces that seek to curtail our treasured stability,” the post said.

Dear Sierra Leoneans,

I bring you greetings from the Presidential Lodge in Freetown.

There was a security breach at the Wilberforce military barracks in Freetown in the early hours of the morning when some unknown persons attacked the military’s armory.…

– President Julius Maada Bio (@PresidentBio) November 26, 2023

In a statement released on Sunday, West Africa’s regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), condemned the attempt to disrupt the “constitutional order” in Sierra Leone.

Growing unrest

Sierra Leone has experienced political violence and restlessness since the Re-election by President Bio in June.

This election was the fifth since the end of Sierra Leone’s brutal 11-year civil war more than two decades ago, which left tens of thousands dead and devastated the country’s economy.

International observers condemned a “lack of transparency” in the counting of ballots, and Sierra Leone’s opposition party initially disputed the results and boycotted the government.

Since his election victory five months ago, Bio has continued to be criticized for the weakening economic situation. Almost 60 percent of Sierra Leone’s more than seven million residents are impoverished and youth unemployment is among the highest in West Africa.

The unrest in Sierra Leone follows a series of military coups that have dealt serious blows to democracy in the region. There have been eight military coups in West and Central Africa since 2020, including in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea.