Sierra Leone has buried 18 members of the security forces killed during what the government described as an attempted coup last week.
President Julius Maada Bio attended the burials of 16 soldiers, one police officer and a prison guard at the military cemetery in Freetown on Wednesday, according to information minister Chernor Bah.
Grieving family members were also present along with religious, military and police representatives, while hundreds of people lined the path to the cemetery to pay their respects.
During the early hours of November 26, armed attackers stormed a military armoury, two barracks, two prisons and two police stations, clashing with security forces.
United in grief
The fighting left a total of 21 people dead, according to Bah.
Since then 60 people have been arrested in connection with what President Bio has described as an attempted coup.
"Today, we stand united in grief. We stand not just as mourners but as bearers of a sacred duty, a solemn responsibility, to honour our fallen comrades," the president said.
"We gather here today under the weight of immense grief, to honour our brave military and police officers who lost their lives defending our democracy," Bio added, promising that "their sacrifice will not be in vain".
Respect for law
Albert Mboma, whose brother died during the violence, told AFP that he wanted justice for his brother who was killed during the attack. "He was the breadwinner of our family," Mboma added.
On Saturday, Bio said that the response to the coup bid would be dictated by "respect for the law".
West Africa has seen a series of coups since 2020 in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea. Guinea-Bissau also had an "attempted coup" last week.
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