On April 13, 2023, the Special Investigation Committee (SIC) appointed by President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone released their findings on the August 8-10, 2022 violent protests in Freetown and other parts of the country.
The Committee's investigation was aimed at identifying the organizers, planners, and funders of the protests, identifying the root causes, and making recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The SIC found that while youth unemployment and marginalization, substance abuse, economic hardship, and food insecurity contributed to the incidents, rogue politicians exploited these issues for their political advantage.
The Committee concluded that the protests were not justified as they were well-planned, financed, well-orchestrated, timed, and geared towards removing the democratically elected President from political power.
The insurrection was characterized by strong political vendetta exhibited on social media and other platforms. While the leadership of the main opposition party condemned the incidents, the ringleaders of the insurrection were all active members of the All People's Congress (APC).
The security sector was relatively prepared but was not proactive enough to forestall the incidents.
The SIC found that the security sector was seriously challenged by the paucity of resources, including vehicles, communication equipment, and riot gear, to adequately respond to the threats facing the nation at that time.
The traditional leaders' authority has been eroded in many communities across the country, leaving a lacuna for politicians to manipulate their subjects, thus undermining their authority.