In Sierra Leone, 13 military officers and one civilian have been arrested after an alleged failed coup that left at least 20 people dead. Heavy gunfire broke out in the capital Freetown Sunday as attackers targeted Sierra Leone’s major military barracks, near the presidential villa, and two prisons, where some 2,000 people were allowed to escape. Sierra Leone officials said the attacks were an attempt to “overthrow the elected government.” This is a resident of Freetown.

Francis Squire: “We are praying for this not to repeat, because this country belongs to all of us. If this continues, where are we supposed to go? Because we will not have this kind of peace in another man’s country.”

This comes just a few months after Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio was reelected for a second term in a disputed June election. At least eight other military coups have taken place in West and Central Africa since 2020, including in Gabon and Niger this year.