What led to the coup attempt in Sierra Leone?

Subject : IR

Section: Places in news

Context:

On November 26, unidentified gunmen attempted a coup in Sierra Leone, targeting military barracks, police stations, and correctional centers.

What is happening in Sierra Leone?

In August 2023, the Sierra Leone police arrested several individuals, including senior military officers, accused of planning violent attacks on government institutions.
The recent attacks aimed to free the arrested military officers and were declared an unsuccessful coup attempt by the government.
Political instability is a key factor, intensified by President Julius Maada Wonie Bio’s contested re-election and the opposition’s boycott of parliament.
Economic instability, marked by a high cost of living, severe poverty, and a 50.94% inflation rate in August, contributes to unrest.
President Bio’s economic policies worsened the crisis, leading to protests demanding his resignation in July and August 2022.
Police aggression, seen in incidents like the 2020 prison riot and the August 2022 protests, fuels resentment toward the government.

Measures to End Resentment

The state response includes an indefinite curfew, flight rescheduling, cash rewards for information on coup leaders, and ongoing security operations.
Sierra Leone is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and ECOWAS intervention may occur to maintain constitutional order.
ECOWAS has a history of intolerance toward unconstitutional takeovers and may impose sanctions on Sierra Leone if a coup attempt succeeds.

Some facts about Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa.
The country is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest.
The country’s capital, Freetown, was founded as a settlement for freed slaves in the late 18th century.
Temne and Mende are the largest ethnic group of Sierra Leone.
The country is rich in natural resources, especially diamond, gold, bauxite and aluminum.
Sierra Leone has one of the world’s largest deposits of rutile, a titanium ore used as paint pigment and welding rod coatings.