Voters in Sierra Leone were deciding Saturday whether to give President Julius Maada Bio a second term in office amid high unemployment and growing concern about the state of the economy in the West African nation.
Bio faced a field of a dozen challengers though experts have predicted it’s likely his main competition will be Samura Kamara, the head of the All People’s Congress Party, whom he defeated in 2018.
Bio has been facing increasing criticism because of debilitating economic conditions, which his opponent is pledging to fix. Nearly 60% of Sierra Leone’s population of more than 7 million are facing poverty, with youth unemployment being one of the highest in West Africa. Margaret Ngegba, a trader in the capital of Freetown, said she hoped for a winner “who feels for us and provides our children jobs.”
A former military head of state, Bio came to power promising to end rampant corruption. Analysts say that he invested in improving education in the country and took steps to fight rampant corruption. But the weak economy has drawn criticism, with Sierra Leoneans taking to the streets protesting widespread poverty.
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