DOUALA, Cameroon 

Sierra Leone declared a nationwide curfew Wednesday following violent protests and a full investigation will be conducted, the country's leaders announced.

The West African nation has been observing the curfew since the afternoon after it was announced by Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh on national television.

People had taken to the streets earlier to demonstrate against the high cost of living in the country of over 8 million inhabitants, where the budget deficit has increased from 5.6% to 7.1% of its GDP, impacted by Russia’s war on Ukraine, while its public debt has edged up from 74% to 75% of GDP, according to the African Development Bank.

"Unscrupulous individuals" during "an unauthorized, violent demonstration" had caused "the deaths of innocent Sierra Leoneans, including security personnel, Juldeh Jalloh said, without providing the number of dead.

President Julius Maada Bio called for calm among his countrymen and announced investigations into the incident.

"As a government, we have the responsibility to protect every citizen of Sierra Leone. What happened today was unfortunate and will be fully investigated. I urge all Sierra Leoneans to be calm," he said on Twitter.