ADDIS ABABA: The African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat has slammed the recent acts of violent protests in Sierra Leone.
The AU cheif expresses "deep concern over the violent protests in Sierra Leone on August 10, 2022, which resulted in loss of life and the destruction of property," said an African Union statement issued on late Thursday.
To maintain the stability that Sierra Leone has experienced since the end of the civil war in 2002, Faki advised all parties to abstain from additional acts of violence and engage in constructive debate within the confines of the democratic process. He emphasised the pan-African bloc's commitment to assisting the government and people of Sierra Leone in the return to normalcy.
On Wednesday, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Freetown, the nation's capital, and other cities to urge the government to address the issues of the country's severe economic suffering and high cost of living. Due to the demonstration, several businesses in the national capital remained closed out of concern about protester attacks.
Following the widespread demonstration in the West African nation, vice president Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh announced a statewide curfew on Wednesday. He said it was a way to defuse the situation and restore normalcy to the country. The military has been called upon by the administration to assist the police in responding to the nationwide protest.
Four police officers were killed in the statewide protest on Wednesday, according to a statement released by the Sierra Leonean police on Thursday, while 113 protestors were detained.
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