The government of Sierra Leone has received condolences and outright condemnation of the 10th August 2022 fatal demonstrations in the East end of the capital, Freetown, and in some parts of the North and North-West regions, from members of the international committee that claimed the lives of security and innocent civilians.
Condolences and outright condemnation were received by the government from the ECOWAS Commission, the Liberian Embassy, the Embassy of Guinea, the West African Foreign Ministers, the British High Commission, the Nigerian High Commission, the Egyptian Embassy, the Mano River Union Secretariat, The Gambian Embassy, and the United States Embassy.
The international and diplomatic partners further expressed their unflinching support for the government of President Julius Maada Bio and the people of Sierra Leone, while sending their condolences to the bereaved families.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation convened a meeting of the diplomatic community and development partners in Freetown to provide a comprehensive security briefing and analysis of the event on Wednesday, August 10, 2022.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Prof. David Francis, described the wildly rumored and publicized demonstration of August 10th, 2022, as one that was perpetrated by "terrorists in the guise of protesters" who took to the streets "some bearing firearms (AK47, SLR, and pistols), machetes, some holding placards, barricading roads and engaging in riotous conduct using innocent children as shields, that led to the death of 5 police officers and innocent civilians."
The Minister informed, "Taking advantage of the professionalism of the police, the terrorists in the guise of protesters became violent and chanted for the removal of His Excellency the President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio." He said, "In the effrontery, the terrorists killed several police officers, mutilated some, burned down police stations and government vehicles, and killed innocent civilians."
As Prof. Francis highlighted, protesting terrorists set a police station in Waterloo and Kamakwei, selected government vehicles were set ablaze, and vandalized government warehouses and buildings.
He claimed that police fired tear gas canisters in an attempt to disperse the terrorists, but they regrouped with increased violence, charging the police, who became aware of their numbers and withdrew.
He said, "The terrorists continued advancing chanting that they were heading to State House to violently remove President Bio, en route to Sani Abacha Street to subvert the President at State House, but were resisted by a joint team with some arrested."
He analyzed that 5 police officers in total were killed along with 6 civilians, 2 police stations were burnt down, 6 police stations were vandalized, an approved school at Kuntoloh was vandalized, 2 government buses were burnt down, a government warehouse and building were burnt in Waterloo, among other properties.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said, "This is not and was not a demonstration or peaceful. No one must fool themselves or be under any illusion whatsoever that this was a demonstration or a peaceful demonstration. "This is a violent insurrection by terrorists whose primary aims are to destroy the peace, security, and stability of this country."
The Minister said, "The causality figures, the shocking doubt, that this was not a demonstration but simply a violent insurrection." He described the event as "a well-planned, orchestrated, premeditated, and financed violent insurrection by terrorists determined to destroy the hard-won peace and stability of this country."
Professor Francis said the attacks and violence are an attack on democracy, progressive development, peace, security, and stability in Sierra Leone. He said the planners of the violent insurrection had only one aim: to achieve their political objective by using violence to kill, destroy, injure, and loot. Prof. Francis reiterates that "The intention was to cause a cessation in normal daily activities to give a semblance of anarchy, thereby ensuring the country looks bad in the eyes of the international community, as well as to create an impression that the country is ungovernable and, in the process, giving very bad publicity to the image and reputation of Sierra Leone."
Citizens and members of the international and diplomatic community have been assured that a thorough investigation will be conducted and that those found wanting and culpable through a fair and transparent judicial process will face the full force of the law.
He called on all to return to their businesses, assuring them that normalcy had returned to the entire country, saying, "What happened yesterday is not the representation of Sierra Leoneans."
Members of the international and diplomatic community in Sierra Leone
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