By Wedaeli Chibelushi,
FREETOWN Sierra Leone
Thirteen soldiers were among the 19 killed during Sunday's violence in Sierra Leone, which saw gunmen attacking a military barracks and prisons, an army spokesman has said.
Sierra Leoneans spent Sunday
under a nationwide curfew amid disarray in capital, Freetown.
The information minister
described the attacks as "co-ordinated and planned".
Our reporter saw armed
men on the streets chanting that they would "clean" Sierra Leone.
As well as the 13 soldiers,
one police officer, one civilian and a private security employee were also
killed along with three of the attackers, Army spokesman Col Issa Bangura said.
Eight soldiers were also
wounded in action.
In the attack on one of the
prisons, some 1,890 inmates escaped, the Reuters news agency said, citing a
situation report.
The violence was a "very
serious breach", Information Minister Chernoh Bah said on Monday morning, after the curfew had been lifted.
"These were co-ordinated
and properly planned attacks on the security and wellbeing of our state."
Bah said current and former
military officials were among those involved, some of whom have been detained
by security forces.
Gunmen, witnessed by our reporter in Freetown on Sunday, wore military uniforms and balaclavas.
Addressing suggestions that
there had been an attempted coup, Mr Bah said: "We have apprehended some
of the major leaders of yesterday's attack and they are currently being
interrogated by our security forces.
"Once they can ascertain
the full intent of their actions... we will make a declaration on whether it
was an attempted coup."
Several countries in
West and Central Africa are under military rule after a series of
recent coups. These include Sierra Leone's neighbour Guinea as well as Mali,
Niger and Chad.
Our correspondent says he
understands that the gunmen intended to storm the presidential residence on
Sunday morning. However, they moved on after failing to take control a nearby
armoury and overcome President Julius Maada Bio's security.
A former President, Ernest
Koroma, also came close to Sunday's violence.
A military source on Sunday
told the BBC that one of Mr Koroma's guards had been detained - hours later the
former leader announced that a guard of his had been killed and another
abducted.
In a statement, Mr Koroma said
he "strongly condemned" the violence, in which "Corporal Eddie
Conteh was reportedly shot at point blank range while his colleague, Warrant
Officer John Swarray was whisked away to an unknown location".
The information minister
echoed President Bio in insisting order has been restored in the capital. The
sound of gunshots had drastically decreased overnight and the atmosphere was
calmer, witnesses said.
However, Mr Bah said a
"manhunt" for gunmen and the escaped prisoners is ongoing.
In a televised address on
Sunday evening, the president described the events as a "breach of
security" and an attack on democracy.
A new nine-hour night-time
curfew will begin at 21:00 local time (21:00 GMT) on Monday, the information
ministry says.
As daily life began to resume
in Freetown, one passer-by said: "Yesterday was like hell on earth
for some of us that reside beside the central prison or close to the state
house.
"We are happy that from
the government's side, they have put everything under control for now."
Another complained: "We
don't want to see this type of thing in this country because we have day-to-day
activities… I have my family. This is too much. Every five or six months we get
this."
The political situation in
Sierra Leone has remained tense since June, when President Bio was re-elected -
narrowly missing out on the need to have a run-off.
International observers have
condemned inconsistencies and a lack of transparency in the count, as well as
acts of violence and intimidation.
In August, a number of
soldiers were arrested and accused of plotting a coup against the president.
The US, European Union, UK and
regional bloc Ecowas released statements strongly condemning Sunday's violence.
On Monday afternoon, Sierra
Leone's information ministry said a delegation from Ecowas and Nigeria was set
to arrive in Freetown for a meeting with the foreign minister.
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