A high-level delegation from West Africa, led by the presidents of Senegal and Ghana, arrived in Sierra Leone on Saturday to lay the groundwork for a security mission following a recent alleged coup attempt. The visit comes amidst concerns about the fragile security situation in the country and the potential for further instability in the region.
On November 26, Sierra Leone was rocked by violence when armed attackers stormed military installations, prisons, and police stations in the capital, Freetown. The clashes with security forces left 21 people dead and hundreds of prisoners escaped before authorities regained control. The incident was deemed a coup attempt by members of the armed forces, raising alarms about a possible return to the country’s turbulent past.
The attack also sparked fears of a wider trend of instability in West Africa, where Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Guinea have all witnessed military coups since 2020. In response, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) launched the delegation to Sierra Leone with the aim of “facilitating the deployment of a security mission to help stabilize the country.”
“Following the heinous attempt to overthrow the democratically elected government on November 26, ECOWAS decided that the region must be protected and has sent a stabilization mission to Sierra Leone,” Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Timothy Kabba stated in a radio interview. He emphasized that the ECOWAS force wouldn’t constitute a military intervention, drawing comparisons to similar missions deployed in Gambia and Guinea Bissau.
“We have a very competent army that suppressed the insurgents,” Kabba said. “This mission in no way impinges on Sierra Leone’s sovereignty.”
Senegalese President Macky Sall and Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo are scheduled to meet with Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio to discuss the security situation and the details of the proposed ECOWAS mission. The visit underscores the regional concern about Sierra Leone’s stability and the potential for further unrest in West Africa.
Meanwhile, Sierra Leone authorities lifted the curfew imposed after the November 26 clashes, signaling a gradual return to normalcy. However, the country’s path towards lasting stability hinges on addressing the underlying grievances that fueled the coup attempt and ensuring effective security measures to prevent future violence.
The success of the ECOWAS mission will depend on its ability to collaborate with Sierra Leonean authorities, address the root causes of the unrest, and ensure respect for the country’s sovereignty while bolstering its security. The coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether Sierra Leone can put the coup attempt behind it and embark on a path of lasting peace and stability.
