The newly appointed Minister of Trade, Ibrahim Alpha Sesay, commonly known as ‘TEX,’ intervened to defuse mounting tension between the Abacha Street Traders and the Freetown City Council Police at Abacha Street in Freetown.

The clashes between the two erupted as the Freetown City Council demanded that the traders stop selling on Abacha Street and relocate to another designated area. However, the traders insisted on being provided with a suitable alternative location to conduct their business.

Although there were initial plans to hand over the newly constructed Victoria Park Market to these traders, they claim that the nearly completed market has already been allocated to non-traders, leaving them with no choice but to continue selling at Abacha Street to support their families.

To address the issue, the Minister convened a meeting at the Office of National Security (ONS) Tower Hill, Freetown, with the presence of AIG Brima Jah, AIG Sylvester Koroma, Trader Union President Vandi Lansana, Traders’ Council President Foday Sahid Kamara, and representatives of the Market Women & Traders’ Union.

During the meeting, various issues were discussed to find lasting solutions to the problem of street trading. The main priority was to identify a suitable market spot for the traders, especially as the completion of the Sewa Ground Market was underway.

However, a clash between the traders and the FCC Police occurred when the Police urged them to move back to allow the free flow of traffic on Abacha Street, Freetown.