SIERRA LEONE – It was a day of unrest and violence in the Sierra Leonean Capital, Freetown on Wednesday when anti-government protesters clashed with police in the streets; leaving several people dead and wounded. Sierra Leone’s leadership announced a nationwide curfew on Wednesday in response to the violence it said had caused an unspecified number of deaths, including among the security forces. Earlier, internet observatory NetBlocks said Sierra Leone faced a near-total internet shutdown with national connectivity at 5 percent of ordinary levels. Long-standing frustration has also been exacerbated by rising prices for basic commodities in Sierra Leone, where more than half the population of around eight million lives below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. Meanwhile, the latest situation in Sierra Leone has left the Mano River Union (MRU) countries including Sierra Leone’s closest neighbors – Liberia and Guinea on the edge as citizens of these countries continue to grapple with high price of basic commodities such as petroleum and rice.

Source: Front Page Africa August 11, 2022 10:18 UTC