The city of Freetown, located in Sierra Leone, was violently shaken early awake on a Sunday morning by the sound of gunshots. Government officials have now declared the incident as a coup attempt. Armed men tried to break into a military base near the president’s residence and also attacked two of the city’s main prisons, leading to the release of several inmates. At least 19 individuals, which included 13 soldiers, perished in the violence, as stated by the army. The government has reported the arrest of 13 military officers and one civilian. Though President Julius Maada Bio has pledged to take legal action against the perpetrators, the motive behind the attack remains unclear. Some are speculating if it was inspired by military coups that have occurred in nearby regions.
Valnora Edwin, a civil society advocate and political analyst based in Freetown, expressed uncertainty over the events leading up to the attempted coup, but in hindsight, there were numerous signs of discontent that could have ignited such a tragedy. She pointed to political affiliations and high unemployment levels pushing people to align themselves with specific parties in order to secure government jobs and other privileges, which could result in significant losses if a different party assumes power.
Sierra Leone’s information minister and army spokesperson have indicated that soldiers were involved in the assault on Sunday, a fact that comes as no surprise to locals like Ms. Edwin who attested to favored treatment for specific ethnic groups within the armed forces and police during governmental transitions and policy implementations. The country’s dire economic state, characterized by high inflation rates, was also cited as a contributing factor to the events of that Sunday. Many believe that external economic shocks have left the nation vulnerable and more needs to be done to mitigate their impact.
At 61 years old, Alie, a businessman living in Freetown, corroborated the influence of politics on the military, expressing a divided opinion and a deep divide along political lines within the country’s security forces. He noted that some supporters of the opposition party, The All People’s Congress (APC), believe that President Julius Maada Bio was not legitimately elected for a second term, leading to resentment and anger within the population.
International observers had criticized the June elections, highlighting a lack of transparency in the count. Together with other concerns, including a government report of arresting individuals, including armed forces members, for planning a coup against President Bio within two months of his re-election, suggested that leadership under President Bio’s administration is under threat.
While pundits believe that recent military coups in West and Central Africa did not directly influence the events in Sierra Leone, they emphasize the importance of addressing governance and electoral fraud issues to prevent further rebellions and ensure a free, fair, and credible election process. Failure to do so could prompt political unrest and potentially lead to coup attempts, according to Afolabi Adekaiyaoja from the Centre for Democracy and Development.
