Sierra Leone holds presidential election with an incumbent weakened by economic turmoil

By KEMO CHAM
Associated Press

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) — Voters in Sierra Leone are deciding whether to give President Julius Maada Bio a second term in office. Saturday’s election comes amid high unemployment and growing concerns about the economy in the West African nation. The strongest challenger in the crowded field is believed to be Samura Kamara, the head of the All People’s Congress Party, Sierra Leone’s main opposition camp. Bio narrowly defeated Kamara in the last election in 2018 and analysts have predicted Saturday’s vote could be close as well. This is the country’s fifth presidential election since the end of a brutal 11-year civil war more than two decades ago.