By: Ibrahim J. Conteh
As part of an ongoing assessment of Sierra Leone’s security climate, shortly after the August 10, 2022 protests, journalist Ibrahim J. Conteh uncovered a deep personal story that reflects the lasting wounds left by the country’s political turmoil.
What began as a nationwide outcry over economic hardship quickly turned into one of the darkest days in the country’s recent history. The protests, which swept across the Western Area and parts of the north, ended in chaos and bloodshed. The chants for change faded, replaced by silence and grief, the nation was left struggling to understand what had happened, and at what cost.
During his assessment, Ibrahim J. Conteh met David Ndapie, whose account offered a striking reminder of the human cost behind the headlines. David’s cousin, Sulaiman Fullah, has been missing since the security crackdown that followed the violent aftermath of the August 10 protests. But he also spoke at length about his cousin, Sulaiman Fullah, a young man from Government Wharf in the central part of Freetown whose life changed forever after that day.
David described Sulaiman as passionate and deeply troubled by the suffering he saw around him.
“My cousin wasn’t just upset, he was heartbroken,” David said quietly. “He couldn’t stand seeing mothers with nothing to feed their children or watching students drop out of school because their parents had no means.”
According to David, Sulaiman was a devoted supporter of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) and openly critical of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP). But he insisted Sulaiman’s activism came from a genuine desire to see living conditions improve, borne out of frustration at the worsening living conditions of the ordinary Sierra Leonean
“He told me it wasn’t about party colours anymore,” David recalled. “It was about the cries of the people.”
On August 10, 2022, those cries echoed through central Freetown, where protesters demanded relief from soaring prices, joblessness, and food insecurity. The demonstrations grew rapidly across the north, but the day ended in bloodshed after security forces opened fire. When calm finally returned, hundreds of civilians and six police officers were dead.
In the aftermath, the authorities launched a series of arrests targeting suspected organizers and supporters.
In the days that followed, authorities launched sweeping raids and arrests targeting suspected organizers and sympathizers. Sulaiman’s home at Government Wharf was among the first to be stormed.
“They broke in looking for him,” David said. “When they didn’t find him, they beat some of his relative and detained others.”
Sulaiman was not home during the raid. He fled immediately, and on the 15th of August 2022, at a Press briefing at the police headquarters in Freetown, the Sierra Leone declared Sulaiman Fullah alongside several well-known opposition figures WANTED. Others named included Jacob M. Sillah of Sabu Street, Suwaib Santigi Conteh of Big Wharf, and Amadu Koita accused of their involvement in the August 10 protest that claims the lives police officers and civilians.
Realizing that he was no longer safe anywhere in the country, Sulaiman made the painful decision to leave Sierra Leone. It was not planned; it was a desperate attempt to survive. He left behind his family, his work, and the only home he had ever known.
Since then, Sulaiman has vanished. His whereabouts remain unknown. His name, however, resurfaced in national discussions as the incident revived tensions between the ruling SLPP and the opposition APC. The August 10 protest pushed the country back into uncertainty, and once again suspicion fell on opposition members.
At first, I thought he was dead,” David admitted. “Two of his friends were killed during the cracked down and others were arrested. ”But then one day, I got a strange call telling me he was still alive.” Sulaiman was not radical. He just refused to stay silent while people were suffering
David maintained that Sulaiman fears returning home because the same threat use to target him is still active, and many activists like him have continued to face harassment and dead threats. He believes that if he returns, his life will be at risk, so he opted to run away so he can finally live without fear and build a peaceful life where he does not have to hide his opinions or worry about being harmed for simply speaking the truth.
Meanwhile, many arrested over the protests have handed long prison sentences, deepening public debate over whether the incidents were politically driven or rooted in widespread economic despair.