On 10th August, 2022 a group of civilians (mainly opposition members and supporters) took part in demonstrations in some parts of the country calling for the democratically elected President Dr. Julius Maada Bio to resign and hand-over power to them. Six Police officers were brutally murdered by the protesters and several civilians killed.
In the early hours of Sunday, 26th November, 2023 a group of renegade troops and their civilian supporters attacked the Wilberforce Military Barracks and broke into the military armory. They took arms and ammunition from the military armory and started sporadic firing in the capital city of Freetown and its surrounding environs.
They attacked the Military Headquarters at Cockerill and the major military depot at Murray Town. They were unable to overrun all these military installations. Loyal soldiers confronted and repelled them. Some of their leaders were killed whilst others are still on the run. They are being pursued by the security forces.
The Central Correctional Centers for male and female inmates were broken into and one thousand eight hundred and sixty eight inmates/detainees including hardened criminals, murderers and armed robbers were set free.
We are still wondering why the Government is refusing to call a spade a spade by failing to describe the incident that took place on Sunday, 26th November, 2023 as a coup attempt. It is nothing but a coup attempt. Period!
We call on the security forces to maintain the reviewed curfew hours, mount more checkpoints in and around the capital city and conduct random cordon and search across the capital city.
We congratulate the security forces for their gallantry especially the RSLAF, the Presidential Guard and the Sierra Leone Police. They have been very vigilant and we hope they continue to defeat the forces of evil.
No amount of intimidation and/or violence will reverse the verdict delivered by the electorate on 24th June, 2023. Those who want power at all costs should wait for another general election in 2028. The people of Sierra Leone are no longer interested in the violent overthrow of the government.
They believe that the best way to change a government is through the ballot box.
The incident that took place on Sunday, 26th November, 2023 bears the hallmark of an attempted coup. The perpetrators must be made to pay for their attempt to destabilize the country and make it ungovernable.
The forces of evil will never succeed to destabilize our country. We have moved on. The incident of Sunday, 26th November points to one thing: an attempt to violently overthrow the democratically elected Government of Sierra Leone.
The civilian populace are no longer prepared to welcome coup makers in their midst. Sierra Leone is now an admired member of the civilized world. No turning back.
Those who do not want a SLPP-led administration should wait for the opportunity to replace them in 2028, when another set of general elections is held.
Let us remember that, violence begets violence!
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