On Saturday, June 24, 2024 Sierra Leoneans began voting in closely watched presidential and parliamentary elections. These elections come after a year of violence caused mainly by a cost-of-living crisis.
Wilberforce Barracks, a polling location in Freetown, had a late start to voting that was scheduled to end at 5:00 p.m. GMT. There are 13 contenders for president, including the current president, Julius Maada Bio, and about 3.4 million voters are expected to cast their ballots.
In this general election, the 59-year-old retired military officer Julius Maada Bio faces off with 72-year-old technocrat opponent, Samura Kamara, leader of the All People’s Congress. In the previous election in 2018, Mr. Bio prevailed in a second-round run-off.
Since then, Mr. Bio has been in charge of a underdeveloped country that suffered greatly as a result of COVID-19 and the Ukraine war.
The mineral-rich country had been recovering from a violent civil war and an Ebola epidemic. 27 citizens and six police officers were killed in riots that broke out in August 2022 due to inflation and frustration with the administration.
Although the campaign in Freetown has been less violent than in the past, the potential for bloodshed remains high. Regardless of the outcome, local officials and celebrities have urged peaceful elections including Idris Elba.
“CALLING ALL SIERRA LEONEANS. FORGIVE MY KRIO. BUT SHARE MY MESSAGE. LET US HAVE A PEACEFUL ELECTION. WE CAN, THERFORE WE SHALL,” Idris Elba, who is of from Sierra Leonean descent, tweeted.
