A 64-year-old woman was shot in the head and killed when violence erupted at the main opposition party’s headquarters in Freetown, Sierra Leone on Sunday 25th June 2023.
Clashes unfolded between government forces and All People’s Congress (APC) members amidst the tense aftermath of Sierra Leone’s general election.
Hawa Dumbuya, a 64-year-old nurse and devoted party volunteer, was fatally shot in the head during the post-election press conference at the APC building. The police officers and presidential guard surrounding the premises created a tense environment, trapping opposition members including the prominent presidential candidate Samura Kamara.
Reports indicate that tear gas and live ammunition were deployed to control the situation.
Expressing his outrage, Kamara took to Twitter, declaring, “I have been barricaded in my APC party headquarters during my live press conference. Live bullets and teargas fired at my offices by government forces. This is an assassination attempt.”
The official election results were announced on Tuesday 27th June 2023, declaring the incumbent President Julius Maada Bio as the winner of the presidential vote, having secured over 56% of the total ballots cast.
However, the opposition has contested the count, stating issues about the transparency and fairness of the electoral process.
The European Union Election Observation Mission, present in Sierra Leone, voiced its concern regarding “statistical inconsistencies” in the presidential results released by the electoral commission.
This was Sierra Leone’s fifth election since the end of the civil war in 2002.
