AUC Chief condemns violence-filled protests in Sierra Leone

Addis Ababa, Aug 13 : The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat has condemned the recent incidents of violent protests in Sierra Leone.

These protests resulted in the loss of life and destruction of property," said an AU statement issued late Thursday.Faki condemned the violence and urged the of violence, and he demanded that all parties not engage in further violence and to engage in dialog constructively within the confines of the democratic process, to preserve the peace which Sierra Leone has enjoyed since the beginning of the civil war in 2002.

He reiterated the pan-African blocs commitment in aiding the government and the citizens of Sierra Leone in the restoration of normalcy, Xinhua news agency reported.On Wednesday on Wednesday, thousands of protesters gathered in the streets of Freetown the capital of Sierra Leone, and other areas of the country, urging the government to deal with the problem of the hardship in the economy and the high price of living.

The protests disrupted businesses with shops closing throughout the capital city of Sierra Leone because of the security reasons, fear of being attacked by protesters.Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh on Wednesday announced in the broadcast on TV a nationwide curfew after the massive protests in the West African country, saying its a measure to ease the tension and bring the country back to normal.

The government has enlisted the military to cooperate with the police in resolving the protests in the country.A statement released by the Sierra Leone police said on Thursday that four police officers were killed in the nationwide protest on Wednesday in Sierra Leone, and 113 protesters were detained by police.int/khz/ .