Government talks about attempted coup after attacks in Sierra Leone New attempt to form government with right-wing populists in the Netherlands

The government of the West African country of Sierra Leone has described the outbreak of violence in the capital Freetown this weekend as an attempted coup. The men who attacked key barracks and prisons in the capital Freetown on Sunday were planning to overthrow the government, according to preliminary investigations, senior security officials said on Tuesday. According to the Ministry of Information, thirteen soldiers and one civilian were arrested. “We are investigating a failed coup attempt,” Inspector General of Police Fayia Sellu said at a news conference. Further investigation must therefore determine the extent of the conspiracy and other parties involved.

A gun battle took place on Sunday morning at the weapons depot near the residence of President Julius Maada Bio. Unidentified gunmen also attacked several detention centers, including a high-security prison, with hundreds of prisoners escaping. At least 16 security forces were killed, according to government figures. Bio had assured the coastal state’s approximately 8.8 million residents on Sunday that calm had been restored and that his government was “determined to protect democracy in Sierra Leone.”

In West Africa, the growing number of coups in recent years is causing concern. This year the army staged a coup in Niger, further north in the Sahel, and in the Central African coastal state of Gabon. Guinea, which borders Sierra Leone, and its neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso are also ruled by military juntas that promise a return to democracy in the medium term but have not yet implemented it.

In Sierra Leone, police had already arrested senior officers in July for preparing an uprising. Shortly before, Bio had been re-elected despite a serious economic crisis. (sda/dpa)