By Francess Wright

As part of an ongoing assignment to assess Sierra Leone’s security situation two years after the August 10, 2022 protests and several months after the November 26, 2023 attempted coup, investigative journalist Alvin Lansana Kargbo came across a deeply personal account that underscores the lingering human impact of the country’s recent political unrest.

What began as a national uprising, born of economic hardship, the August 10, 2022 protests, ended in bloodshed that reverberated across the Western Area and Northern Province. The streets, once filled with chants for change, were left stained and silent as Sierra Leone struggled to process the tragedy. Two years later, the scars remain and for one woman, they have never healed.

During the course of his security assessment, Alvin Lansana Kargbo encountered Salamatu Turay, whose story sheds new light on the emotional and political toll of the events. Her nephew, Issa Bangura, remains unaccounted for since the crackdown that followed the protests.

With pain etched on her face, Salamatu Turay spoke candidly about her nephew, Issa Bangura, a young man she described as passionate, disillusioned and driven not by political rivalry, but by human suffering.

“My nephew was not just angry, he was broken,” she said quietly. “He couldn’t watch mothers cry because they had no food or see children drop out of school because their parents had nothing left.”

According to Salamatu Turay, Issa Bangura was a staunch member of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) and openly critical of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP). Yet, she stressed that his participation in the protest was motivated by a desire to see lives improved, not by partisan ambition.

“He told me it wasn’t about party colours anymore. It was about the cry of the people,” she recalled.

That cry erupted on August 10, 2022, when a small group of protesters marched through central Freetown demanding relief from worsening economic conditions. The demonstration quickly gained momentum, especially in the northern districts, fueled by rising inflation, unemployment and food insecurity.

But what began as a peaceful demonstration ended in tragedy as security forces opened fire on the crowds. Panic ensued. By the time calm was restored, more than 20 civilians and six police officers had lost their lives.

In the days that followed, authorities launched sweeping arrests targeting suspected organizers and sympathizers. Salamatu Turay said Issa Bangura’s house was among the first raided.

“They broke in and didn’t find him,” she said. “So they beat his wife and children.”

Issa Bangura, who was not present at the time of the raid, went into hiding. A police notice was soon issued declaring him a wanted man. He was listed alongside others, including Mohamed Dumbuya (alias Notorious BIG), Santigie Sesay, Amadu Koita and Sorie Kamara (alias Tupac), all accused of playing a role in the unrest.

Since then, Issa Bangura has disappeared without trace; his whereabouts not known. His name, however, has continued to resurface in the political discourse, most notably after the November 26, 2023 attempted coup, which came on the heels of a tense and highly contested presidential election that returned President Julius Maada Bio to office amid strong opposition from the APC’s Dr. Samura Kamara.

The attempted coup plunged the nation back into uncertainty and once again, Government officials pointed fingers at opposition members, including those linked to the August 2022 protests.

Rumours about Issa Bangura’s involvement resurfaced, but no concrete information has emerged regarding his fate.

Salamatu Turay now lives under the weight of uncertainty. “At first I did not know if he was alive especially when they heard that two of Issa Bangura’s friends were killed in the protests and some were arrested,” she intimated adding that, “But I know he was never a criminal. He just couldn’t stay silent while people starved.” She continued that, however, later she had a strange call informing that her nephew is still alive.

Many individuals arrested in connection with the protests and the coup attempt  have been sentenced to long term imprisonment as Sierra Leone continues its long search for justice and reconciliation. The Government maintains the position that both incidents were politically motivated, while critics argue that the unrest was driven by deeper socio-economic despair.

“Sometimes protests don’t start in offices,” Salamatu Turay observed. “They start in hungry homes.”

Her voice, though soft, cuts through the noise of political narratives and leaves a resonant truth: Sierra Leone is still trying to make sense of its pain while many like Salamatu Turay wait for answers that may never come.