Sierra Leone ex-president a suspect in coup attempt

Sierra Leone's former president Ernest Bai Koroma is a suspect in the organisation of what the government calls an "attempted coup" last month, the chief of police of the West African nation said Tuesday.

In view of a statement he voluntarily made to the police, "he is a suspect", said police chief Fayia Sellu, answering a question from Information Minister Chernor Bah during a press conference.

On Saturday, authorities said the former president had been confined to his home, amid questioning.

The government confirmed in a statement Tuesday that Koroma was now an official suspect.

Armed attackers stormed a military armoury, two barracks, two prisons and two police stations during the early hours of November 26, clashing with security forces.

The fighting left 21 people dead -- 18 members of the security forces and three assailants -- according to Bah. Since then 80 people have been arrested.

Koroma, who led Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018, was questioned Tuesday for the fourth time by police in Freetown.

According to the authorities, some of Koroma's former guards are also suspected of involvement in the unrest of 26 November.

They published a new list of 54 wanted persons, including the daughter of Koroma, in connection with the events.

According to the information minister, the security forces have recovered 29 of the 47 assault rifles and five of the seven rocket launchers plundered by the alleged coup plotters.

An overnight curfew imposed by the authorities from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am was eased on Monday and now runs from midnight to 6:00 am, due to "the improvement in the security situation", according to the government.

West Africa has been hit by a series of coups since 2020, with the military taking power in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea.