Curfew lifted in Sierra Leone following Jail Break-out from Freetown Prison

Freetown, Sierra Leone – What was referred to as a failed coup attempt in Sierra Leone has ended. After armed men freed inmates, Sierra Leone implemented a midnight curfew, which has since been abolished. Sunday, November 26, 2023, saw the release of inmates from a number of large prisons, according to the country’s minister of information.

The majority of the attack’s commanders, according to President Julius Maada Bio, had been apprehended, according to Chernor A. Bah, Sierra Leone’s Head of Communication. In a television-broadcast speech, he referred to the events as a “breach of security” and an attack on democracy. He took great pains to avoid calling them a coup attempt. He said everything was fine but did not go into detail about who the culprits were or what their goals were.

On Monday, November 27, 2023, at 9:00 p.m. local time (21:00 GMT), a new nine-hour nighttime curfew will go into place, according to Information Ministry Chernor A. Bah.

Political unrest has continued in Sierra Leone since President Bio’s tight victory in reelection in June 2023, which avoided the need for a runoff election. Concern over incidents of violence and intimidation, as well as a lack of transparency in the nation, has been voiced by foreign observers

The incident prompted the imposition of an emergency curfew, which was set to expire on Monday, November 27, 2023, at 6:00 (GMT), according to the Ministry of Information. The nation’s only international airport has seen a cancellation of flights, and locals have been urgently urged to remain indoors.

On Sunday morning, November 27, 2023, soldiers in Freetown were reportedly heard yelling that they planned to clean up Sierra Leone. Other soldiers were seen carrying large arms in a police car that had been seized.