Sierra Leone president says protests aimed to overthrow the government

FILE PHOTO: Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio arrives for the first day of a European Union- African Union summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Belgium, February 17, 2022. John Thys/Pool via REUTERS

FREETOWN (Reuters) - Sierra Leone's president Julius Maada Bio said on Friday that this week's anti-government protests, which led to the deaths of six police officers and at least 21 civilians, were an attempt to overthrow the government.

(Reporting by Umaru Fofana, writing by Anait Miridzhanian and Nellie Peyton)