Sierra Leone declares curfew following deadly protests
DOUALA, Cameroon (AA) – Sierra Leone Vice President Mohamed Juldeh declared a nationwide curfew Wednesday following violent protests.
People had taken to the streets earlier to demonstrate against the high cost of living in the country of over 8 million inhabitants, where the budget deficit has increased from 5.6% to 7.1% of its GDP, impacted by Russia’s war on Ukraine, while its public debt has edged up from 74% to 75% of GDP, according to the African Development Bank.
“Unscrupulous individuals” during “an unauthorized, violent demonstration” had caused “the deaths of innocent Sierra Leoneans”, including security personnel, Juldeh Jalloh said, without providing the number of dead.
President Julius Maada Bio called for calm among his countrymen and announced investigations into the incident.
“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,” he said on Twitter.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
