Waterloo Police Ensure Security During Village Head Elections
Julius Mustapha Harding On October 28, 2023, the Waterloo Police Division, led by CSP Mr. Ibrahim Mohamed Sama, deployed 668 General Duties Police personnel across 80 towns and villages in Sierra Leone’s Western Area Rural District.
Their objective was to provide robust security coverage during elections for Village Head positions conducted by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL).
Voting commenced peacefully at 7:00 a.m., with minor skirmishes among supporters of rival candidates swiftly resolved by the Waterloo Police, ensuring an uninterrupted voting process.
At 5:00 p.m., the polls closed, leading to the counting of ballots in the presence of polling agents and election observers. Post counting, jubilant supporters in some areas engaged in physical altercations, resulting in a few arrests for assault.
Despite isolated incidents, overall security in Waterloo and surrounding areas remained stable throughout the election process, enabling the successful conduct of the Village Head elections.