By Kemo Cham and Francis Murray
Sierra Leone and Guinea have vowed to strengthen bilateral relations, during an ongoing visit by Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh to Conakry.
VP Jalloh’s visit comes days after an attack on the Guinean embassy in Freetown which led to the death of one person.
Police are investigating that incident which has been blamed on supporters of Guinean opposition leader, Sellu Dalen Diallo.
According to a statement from the office of the Vice President, the issue was one of two top subjects of discussion by the VP and President Alpha Conde on Tuesday, February 25.
They also reportedly discussed the spontaneous blockade of the border between the two countries at Gbalamuya in the Kambia District.
Vice President Jalloh, according to the statement, conveyed President Julius Maada Bio’s message of solidarity with the Government and people of Guinea in light of the 22nd February incident, and also used the occasion to reiterate the Sierra Leone government’s commitment to strengthening the bilateral relationship between the two sister countries.
VP Jalloh also met with Prime Minister Kasoury Fofanah during the visit that started on Monday.
He reportedly informed President Conde of the additional measures put in place by Sierra Leone to enhance security at the Guinea Embassy and residences of its diplomatic staff. He also promised “thorough” investigation to inform future actions.
President Conde was quoted condemning the incident, but expressing satisfaction at the response of the Sierra Leonean authorities.
The Guinean leader also spoke on the importance of ensuring secure and free movement of people and goods between the two countries.
The incident at the Guinea embassy, which is located on Jomo Kenyatta Road at Brookfields, comes in the wake of political unrest in Guinea, amidst concerns that President Conde intends to scrap the two-term constitutional limit and run for a third term.
According to sources, an armed Sierra Leonean police guard on duty at the embassy was beaten and disarmed by one of the alleged attackers.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that over 40 people took part in the attack.
The criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Sierra Leone Police said that some arrests had been made and that investigations were ongoing.
A total of five people are said to be under arrest, suspected of harboring one of the attackers, who was later killed by a mob, according to unofficial sources.
On Monday the Embassy compound had high security presence.
Officials in the embassy declined to comment when approached by Politico.
A resident of Brookfields, Samuel Samura, reportedly saved the day when the attackers struck. He reportedly disarmed the one who held a gun.
Samura told Politico that the attacker had disarmed an OSD officer and held another man at gun-point.
“He had beaten the police guard and disarmed him and also beaten a Fullah man whom he pointed the gun at. He wanted to pull the trigger when I tactfully disarmed him,” Samura recalled in an interview, noting that the attack on the embassy appeared well-organized.
According to Samura, the attacker who had the gun fired three shots from a 32-round riffle. He said as the rest of the attackers fled for their lives, after he had taken the gun, one of them was mobbed by angry residents following shouts of ‘‘thief!’’
The one who was killed was removed from a nearby house where he had taken refuge.
Some of those arrested by the police are believed to be inhabitants of that house. They include an elderly man who was visiting Freetown to grace the graduation of his child.
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