After a day of anti-government demonstrations, at least two police officers and one citizen died in the city’s main morgue, according to workers on Wednesday.
When demonstrators tossed rocks and set tires on fire in the streets out of aggravation over the worsening economic situation and other issues, the government of Sierra Leone earlier acknowledged that there had been fatalities but did not specify how many.
A national curfew was implemented starting at 3 p.m. local time (1 500 GMT) in the West African nation, which has been battling soaring inflation and a fuel shortage.
“We have a duty to safeguard each and every Sierra Leonean citizen as a government. The sad events of today will be thoroughly investigated, “tweeted President Julius Maada Bio.
A Reuters correspondent also observed another civilian body on a street in eastern Freetown in addition to the three bodies at the mortuary.
The police chief and spokesman could not be reached for comment.
“People are upset about the country’s justice system which is sickening, daily price rises and economic hardship,” said Daniel Alpha Kamara, a university student.
He claimed that the fighting began at about 10:30 a.m. local time when he noticed tear gas clouds forming outside his dorm room.
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“These unscrupulous individuals have embarked on a violent and unauthorised protest which has led to the loss of lives of innocent Sierra Leoneans, including security personnel,” said Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh in a video address.
“The government hereby declares a nationwide curfew,” he said. “The security sector has been authorised to fully enforce this directive.”
In a tweet, the regional political and economic organization ECOWAS stated that it deplored the violence and urged everyone to “respect law and order” while also calling for the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.
According to Augustine Sorie-Sengbe Marrah, a constitutional lawyer and governance activist, there is a growing sense that the government is not helping the average person who is struggling, which is one of the many causes for the rising unrest.
“There has been little empathy from the central government to encourage folks that they see them suffering, and that they understand these are tough economic times,” he told Reuters.
Rising costs for necessities in Sierra Leone, where the World Bank estimates that more than half of the country’s 8 million people live below the poverty line, have further added to the country’s long-standing dissatisfaction.
Internet watchdog NetBlocks reported earlier on Wednesday that national connection in Sierra Leone was only 5% of normal throughout the protests, resulting in a close to total internet blackout.
According to an internal letter widely circulated online, the national security coordinator requested the armed forces be ready to support the police from August 9 to 12 and warned of a “possible violent security situation” on Tuesday.
