VZCZCXRO3960
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHFN #0071/01 0311807
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 311807Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY FREETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0731
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 FREETOWN 000071 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W, DS, CA/OCS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: ASEC CASC PGOV SL
SUBJECT: POLICE AND YOUTH CLASH AFTER GASOLINE INCIDENT 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) Early on the morning of January 27, Sierra Leone Police 
(SLP) clashed with a group of youths in the Cole Farm area of 
Freetown near many Embassy residences after officers attempted to 
arrest a taxi driver whom they thought was in possession of illegal 
fuel. There are conflicting accounts of the incident.  The SLP 
claimed that the taxi driver ignited the fuel in question in an 
attempt to evade being arrested and sustained severe burns, while 
the taxi driver claimed that the police set him on fire after he 
refused to hand over the fuel. He also claimed that police officers 
attempted to flee the scene instead of rendering assistance. The 
altercation quickly drew a crowd, and police reinforcements were 
called to disperse an angry crowd of approximately 100-150 youths. 
Some media reports claim that the police fired multiple rounds of 
live ammunition as warning shots, which the police denied. Many 
Embassy personnel said that they heard what sounded like gunshots. 
Police did admit to using tear gas on the crowd. There were no 
further reported incidents of violence following the altercation. 
The SLP is investigating the incident and plans to implement new 
procedures to ensure public safety. END SUMMARY. 
 
SLP CONFRONTS ALLEGED BLACK MARKET FUEL RUNNER 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶2. (U) On January 27, Sierra Leone Police (SLP) officers allegedly 
attempted to apprehend a taxi driver, whom they believed was in 
possession of stolen gasoline. Details are still unclear, but 
reportedly an altercation ensued, during which a container of 
gasoline was ignited by either the taxi driver, a bystander, or the 
police, severely burning the taxi driver and moderately injuring one 
police officer. Police called for reinforcements when a group of 
approximately 100-150 disgruntled youth gathered and attacked the 
police in reaction to the altercation. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The RSO investigated the scene a few hours after the 
incident and saw broken glass, large rocks, debris and various 
charred items in the middle and to the side of the street. He also 
observed that a majority of the activity appeared to have taken 
place between two local grocery stores that Embassy staff often 
frequent on Wilkinson Road. The RSO noted that the SLP was 
maintaining a presence in the area, but appeared to be in stand-down 
mode. Crowds remained in the area, and the RSO witnessed only one 
other incident where a group of local youths threw large rocks and 
other debris in the middle of the road. The police quickly dispersed 
the group and cleared the street of debris. By noon, normal traffic 
flows had resumed and local stores were open. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The senior police advisor for the UN Integrated Office in 
Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) told the RSO that he was briefed by the SLP 
on the situation and was told that the incident location is a 
well-known area where stolen property and black market gasoline are 
sold. Police also said that their intelligence indicates that some 
military personnel, living in the Freetown neighborhood of Murray 
Town, may be siphoning fuel from officials' vehicles and selling the 
product in the vicinity. Police believed that some individuals 
sympathetic to black market fuel sellers were planning to launch an 
attack on the police in retaliation. 
 
SLP PLANS RESPONSE 
------------------ 
 
¶5. (SBU) The SLP told the senior UN police advisor that it planned 
to intensify police patrols in several parts of the city to ensure 
public safety, conduct a full-scale investigation into the incident, 
require police patrols to work in teams of at least five officers to 
prevent attacks by disgruntled youths, and deploy plainclothes 
officers to monitor and gather information in respect to the 
incident. SLP officials said that these measures are necessary to 
help allay public fears that the SLP does not possess the capability 
to monitor security during the forthcoming July national elections. 
The SLP also plans to embark on a robust media strategy to give the 
public their version of events. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Although shell casings were found at the scene, a 
preliminary SLP investigation indicated that no other persons were 
injured, and there was no evidence indicating that other persons 
received gunshot wounds during the incident. However, press reports 
claim that at least one bystander received a bullet wound.  The 
police admitted to only firing several rounds of tear gas. 
 
EMBASSY RESPONSE 
---------------- 
 
¶7. (U) All Embassy employees were advised to exercise caution by 
avoiding the area in question for that day, and the Embassy 
immediately issued a Warden Message apprising Amcits in country of 
the situation. No Embassy employees were involved or injured, and no 
 
FREETOWN 00000071  002 OF 002 
 
 
damage was done to USG property. Post has not received any reports 
of injuries to Amcits and will continue to monitor the situation. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) It is still unclear who initiated the altercation, and who 
actually ignited the fuel. The truth may never be clear. There is 
wide speculation, reported by various media, that the SLP patrol was 
at fault and had set the taxi driver on fire. This incident serves 
as another reminder of how quickly events can turn violent in Sierra 
Leone and of the level of the general public's distrust of the SLP. 
Freetown is once again calm, and tensions appear to have diminished 
since the incident, although we cannot rule out the possibility of 
more unrest. END COMMENT.