The streets of Sierra Leone’s capital remain noise free, a day after President Julius Maada Bio was sworn in for a second term following an election his main rival slammed as “not credible”.
Central Freetown was calm as people went about their business at the start of the Muslim festival of Eid ul-Adha, a public holiday.
Many people said they were relieved at the peaceful atmosphere after electoral tensions and fears of violence in a country with a long history of turbulence.
Bio, 59, who leads the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), was sworn in on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 immediately after the Electoral Commission announced he narrowly won an outright victory in the first round of voting, with 56 point one, seven percent of the ballot.
Since the end of Sierra Leone’s 1991-2002 civil war, no incumbent has failed to secure a victory in the first round. Sierra Leone has a two-term presidential limit.
