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WORLD NEWS Thursday 8 March 2018

Sierra Leone police quash clashes after voting ends

By C. MACAULAY A spokesman for the cur-
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone rent president from the rul-
(AP) — Riot police put down ing APC party denied that
skirmishes Wednesday in authorities were trying to
Sierra Leone's capital as foment unrest.
political tensions mounted "The police and the rule of
after authorities visited the law stay in place," Abdulai
office of the leading oppo- Bayratay later said on the
sition candidate. same network. "The APC is
At least one person was not trying to compromise
treated for stab wounds the peace of this country."
following the melee that Wednesday's vote is the
erupted after an SLPP op- fourth since Sierra Leone's
position spokesman said brutal civil war ended in
police had come to search 2002, and the last election
the party's offices without a in 2012 was largely peace-
warrant. Their candidate, ful. The presidential field
Julius Maada Bio, the man was a crowded one with 16
who was defeated in the candidates. The winner will
2012 election, later went on be tasked with helping the
live television to criticize the country to continue to re-
move. build after the devastating
"Counting has started and 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic.
I have phones and laptops The capital also was bat- Voters wait in line to cast their ballots during a presidential, elections, outside a polling station
which I am using to tally the tered by a deadly mud- in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Wednesday, March 7, 2018. Sierra Leone's voters are choosing a new
president Wednesday from among 16 candidates in a race that has sparked debate over dual
results of the counting," he slide in August that claimed nationality and eligibility for the country's highest office.
said. "I have established a about 1,000 lives. (AP Photo/Cooper Inveen)
tallying center in my office "I have come to vote for
which is not against the law a president who I believe in every aspect of its de- than hours in line to cast his tinuation of what the pres-
of this country. This is a le- will make a difference to velopment," said Dr. John ballot Wednesday. "I have ent government has done,"
gitimate affair." the progress of the country Konteh, who waited more come to vote for the con- he said.q

West African leaders plan strategy against extremist threat

By B. OUEDRAOGO ity for the attacks released Monday visited the sites of extremist force, known as ties, intelligence capacities
Associated Press a photo that it says is of a the extremist attacks, the the G5 Sahel force, said with our allies, and we are
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina suicide bomber before he French Embassy and joint extremism had no future in sure that with this coalition
Faso (AP) — West African detonated his vehicle at chief of staff offices of the the region. we are going to militarily
heads of states denounced the army headquarters. army. "Its defeat is inscribed in defeat terrorism and cre-
extremism during a visit to "We have come to con- "Terrorism is an interna- the obsolete and anachro- ate the conditions for eco-
Burkina Faso's capital this demn in the strongest possi- tional phenomenon that nistic nature of the values nomic development in the
week, vowing to strength- ble way these terrorist acts hits no matter where and it claims to defend ... and Sahel countries," he said.
en cooperation to defeat and to say that, whatever no matter what. Today it's the despicable and inhu- The 5,000-strong force
Islamic militants who car- the sacrifice, we must do Ouagadougou, tomorrow man nature of its barbaric combines troops from Burki-
ried out two simultaneous everything so that peace is another city, so we must methods," he said. na Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad
attacks in Ouagadougou and security reign " said To- strengthen cooperation He praised the G5 Sahel and Mauritania.
that killed at least eight go's President Faure Gnass- because alone one can- force set up to fight Islamic Several extremist groups
people late last week. ingbe, who is acting chair- not defeat terrorism," said extremists and the inter- have vowed to step up the
Their pledge came as the man of the West African Gnassingbe. national partners that are bloodshed in West Africa
al-Qaida-linked extrem- regional bloc ECOWAS. Niger President Issoufou, helping to fund it. in response to the recent
ist group based in Mali He and Niger President who is also acting chair- "We are going to strength- deployment of the multina-
that claimed responsibil- Mahamadou Issoufou on man for the regional anti- en our operational capaci- tional G5 force.q