Sierra Leone government says army base attack was coup attempt
- 13 Sierra Leone military officers under arrest for trying to stage a coup, with others still on the run
- The developments in Sierra Leone come after military takeovers in Gabon and Niger this year
Sierra Leone’s authorities have said that an attack at the weekend by gunmen on a key army base in the capital, Freetown, was a failed coup.
Thirteen military officers and one civilian, suspected of being involved in the November 26 assault have been arrested, Inspector General of Police William Fayia Sellu, said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
At least 21 people, including 14 of the West African nation’s soldiers had been killed in clashes with the gunmen, Sellu said. Some civilians caught in the crossfire died while three assailants were killed with others still on the run, he said.
“We continue to pursue them outside of Freetown,” Chief of Defence Staff Peter Lavahun said during the briefing. The invasion of two prisons by the gunmen also led to the escape of over 2,200 inmates, of which about 70 have since been captured or returned voluntarily, according to correctional services.
The unrest comes amid increasing tension in the West African nation after President Julius Maada Bio’s disputed re-election in June.
Some of the group’s leaders fled to the hills on the outskirts of Freetown, where authorities are working to capture them, Information Minister Chernor Bah said on Monday.
