The condemnation of the security breach in Sierra Leone is contained in a statement issued by ECOWAS on Sunday in Abuja.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has condemned the plot by some individuals to disturb the peace of Sierra Leonians.
The condemnation is contained in a statement issued by ECOWAS on Sunday in Abuja.
"The bloc has learnt, with utter disgust, a plot by certain individuals to acquire arms and disturb the peace and constitutional order in Sierra Leone.
"ECOWAS condemns this act and calls for the arrest and prosecution of everyone involved in the illegality.
"The bloc has always maintained its zero-tolerance for unconstitutional change of government.
"We want to reaffirm our commitment to supporting the government and the people of Sierra Leone's quest to deepen democracy and good governance by consolidating peace and security so as to foster socio-economic development," it stated.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the Sierra Leonean government has declared a 24-hour nationwide curfew in a proactive step to ensure that the peace is not tampered with.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how Sierra Leone government declared the nationwide curfew after "unidentified individuals" attempted to break into a military armoury.
The Ministry of Infomation and Civic Education said the individuals, in the early hours of Sunday, tried to break into the armoury at Wilberforce barracks in the capital, Freetown.
"They have all been rebuffed," the ministry said, and the government and security forces are in control.
It indicated that the suspects involved in the incident have not been apprehended.
"To enable the security forces to continue the process of apprehending the suspects, a nationwide curfew is declared with immediate effect across the country," Chernor Bah, the information minister, wrote in the Sunday morning statement.
A government official, however, told Reuters, that there was a prison break at the central prison in Freetown. Many inmates escaped.
The security breach in Sierra Leone is occurring during a period of political uncertainty in many West and Central African countries with the resurgence of military coups. Coups have taken place in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Gabon in recent years.
(NAN)
