Aug. 19 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, has decided to reorganize the military leadership after the strong protests against his government last week in which at least 25 people died, although he has denied that behind this decision there were coup motivations on the part of the high military institutions.
“The heads of the security institutions can be removed for different reasons. It is my right when I think it is the right thing to do,” defended President Bio, who has also recognized “problems with the police force” due to the unexpected nature they acquired. those manifestations.
“Definitely the nature of the protests took the Police by surprise”, despite, he pointed out, that “everyone” knew that these mobilizations would take place. However, they had not identified any group or “person who directed them”, reports the BBC.
In this sense, he has advanced that they have initiated an investigation into what happened, since there is “proof” that there were “people who incited” and “asked people to go out and kill”, at the same time that the military were encouraged to attack institutions and government offices.
Bio has once again blamed the opposition for being behind these alleged attempts to remove him from power, something that his main political rival, the All Peoples Congress (APC), has denied.
The party’s parliamentary spokesman, Chernor Bah, has remarked that they had nothing to do with those demonstrations, whose call was carried out by the Popular Power in Politics organization (PPP), as they themselves acknowledged in a statement a few days ago. , just as you remembered.
“The president with his lies is endangering the life and well-being of the members of our party and even the existence of the party itself,” said the opposition leader, in turn accusing “the mobs” of the Popular Party (SLPP ) of Bio of “threatening” their lives and those of their families
“It is no wonder that our people in Freetown and in the north are being exterminated by SLPP death squads led by Deputy Home Affairs Minister Lahai Lawrence Leema and top Army commanders like Hydara Amara and Desmond Bockarie,” has accused in an editorial published in the newspaper ‘The Sierra Leone Telegraph’.
Some 130 people were arrested for the riots and strong clashes that took place those days in several cities, especially in the capital, Freetown, and that left at least 25 dead, including half a dozen policemen.
Hundreds of people demonstrated to demand solutions to the economic crisis that the country is going through, as well as other problems such as corruption and police excesses. Among their demands is also the resignation of the president, Julius Maada Bio, outside the country when the protests took place, who is questioned about his intention to stand for re-election in the elections scheduled for June 2023.
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