Sierra Leone declares nationwide curfew after gunmen attack military barracks

MOGADISHU, Somalia

Sierra Leone imposed a nationwide curfew on Sunday following an attack by unknown gunmen on military barracks in the capital Freetown, according to an official statement.

“In the early hours of this morning, there was a breach of security at the Military Barracks at Wilberforce in Freetown, as some unidentified individuals attacked the military armoury," President Julius Maada Bio said in a statement on social media platform X.

Bio said the security forces have repulsed the attack and that calm has been restored, but he did not elaborate on the gunmen or the damage caused by their attack.

He added that a joint team of security forces is pursuing “the remnant of the fleeing renegades, a nationwide curfew has been declared.”

He urged people to stay indoors.

Earlier, Information Minister Chernor Bah assured that the government and “our state security forces are in control.”

The attacked Wilberforce military barracks is one of the largest in the country and the main barracks of the Sierra Leone military.

West African countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have experienced a series of military coups in recent years.