FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) — Sierra Leone’s president declared a nationwide curfew Sunday after gunmen attacked the military‘s main and largest barracks in the West African nation’s capital, raising fears of a breakdown of order amid a surge of coups in the region.
The unidentified gunmen attacked the military armory within the Wilberforce barracks in the capital, Freetown, early in the morning, President Julius Maada Bio tweeted, adding that they were driven back by security forces and “calm has been restored.”
“As the combined team of our Security Forces continue to root out the remnant of the fleeing renegades, a nationwide curfew has been declared and citizens are encouraged to stay indoors,” he said.
The country’s Ministry of Information and Education also said in a statement that the government and security forces are “in control” of the situation, trying to dismiss fears of a possible escalation of violence in the country whose population of 8 million people is among the poorest in the world, having some of the lowest scores on the U.N. Human Development Index.
An Associated Press journalist in the capital said that gunshots were still heard in the city hours after the government assured that the situation was under control, although it wasn’t clear who was behind the exchange of fire, nor if any arrests were made.
No details have been immediately given about the gunmen or the reason for the attack,…
