Authorities claim armed men, including serving and retired soldiers, tried to illegally overthrow the government on Sunday
A group of soldiers and police officers launched a series of attacks on military facilities and prisons in Sierra Leone over the weekend in an attempt to overthrow the civilian government, authorities in the West African country claim.
Sierra Leonean Information Minister Chernor Bah told reporters on Tuesday that 13 military officials and one civilian had been detained in connection with the incident.
“The incident was a failed attempted coup. The intention was to illegally subvert and overthrow a democratically elected government,” Bah said.
On Sunday, the West African country imposed a nationwide curfew following clashes between security forces and armed men who attacked the Wilberforce Barracks in the capital, Freetown. According to the government, the armed group also broke into Freetown Central Prison and released several inmates.
At least 21 people were killed in the gunfire, including 14 soldiers and three “assailants,” Bah said on Tuesday. According to the police, among the dead is Idrissa Hamid Kamara, popularly known as Leatherboot, a “strongman” of the opposition All People’s Congress party. He was a security-team member of Sierra Leone’s previous president, Ernest Bai Koroma.
Authorities have also reported that nearly 2,000 prisoners escaped during the incident, with only a few voluntarily returning.
Sierra Leonean police have released photographs of 34 people wanted for alleged involvement in the unrest. The list includes 32 men and two women who are serving or retired soldiers, police officers, and civilians. According to the Sierra Leone Telegraph, almost all of the declared fugitives are linked to the main opposition APC party in some way.