A | Dozens of businesses, government offices, vehicles, and at least three police stations went up in flames in Freetown, Makeni, Kamakwie, and other cities across Sierra Leone from August 10 through 12, with over 113 people arrested and police introducing an emergency nationwide curfew and deploying tear gas and live ammunition to disperse crowds.,The curfew was lifted on August 13, with banks, businesses, government offices, and most stores reopened and communal services beginning to clear the damage. However, ramped-up security measures, including federal troop deployments to assist police, have been left in place.,What Happened?,Sierra Leone is one of the poorest nations in the world, ranking 186 out of 198 in a recent GDP purchasing power parity ranking. An estimated 80 percent of the population lives in poverty, many of them in the country’s rural areas. Like other nations in Africa, the country has faced special difficulties amid the global economic calamity brought on by COVID, and exacerbated by Western restrictions on Russian exports of agricultural goods and fertilizers amid the security crisis in Ukraine, which has caused a major jump in food prices.,AfricaAnti-Russia Sanctions Left Africa Without Access to Grain and Fertilisers, African Union Chief Says3 June, 11:13 GMT,As a net importer of both energy and food, Sierra Leone is especially vulnerable to global economic conditions, and along with food and fertilizers, fuel and electricity costs have also soared. Food prices alone have jumped by over 40 percent over the past few months, with a bag of rice once costing 350 leones now going for over 500. The country’s Central Bank recently removed three zeros from the national currency in a bid to restore confidence. The country has also been overcome by weeks of strikes by government workers, including doctors and teachers, and by small traders protesting poor conditions.,Coup Plot?,However, President Julius Maada Bio has also accused protesters of having ulterior motives beyond the cost of living crisis.,“This was not a protest against the high cost of living occasioned by the ongoing global economic crisis. The chant of the insurrectionists was for a violent overthrow of the democratically-elected government,” Bio said in an address on August 12 after returning to the country from a holiday in London.,Local media pointed to the chants of “Bio must go” among protesters as they gathered in the capital, and the president accused some of the demonstrators of consisting of “APC Warriors,” a reference to the opposition All People’s Congress party, which governed the country from 2007 until 2018, when Bio’s Sierra Leone People’s Party won national elections.,No doubt mindful of the violent civil war which shook the country between 1991 and 2002, claiming as many as 70,000 lives and displacing over 2.5 million people, Bio vowed that “in the coming weeks and months, [the] government will undertake necessary security actions meant to guarantee the peace and security of all citizens.”,“The security forces will, and must, act with great restraint and within their professional codes of service. But be assured that my government will crack down hard on violent insurrectionists, their collaborators, their sponsors and their supporters. My government will relentlessly fight those who would rather use terror and gruesome violence to achieve political goals,” the president said.,As a government, we will continue our engagement with Civil Society as we strive to promote sustainable peace, national cohesion and socio-economic development in Sierra Leone. #newdirectionagenda— President Julius Maada Bio (@PresidentBio) August 18, 2022,Bio did not elaborate on who these “sponsors” and “supporters” were, or whether they included any foreign actors.,Geopolitical Context,Like other African nations, Sierra Leone recently rejected calls by Washington and Brussels to show solidarity with the West and Ukraine and impose sanctions on Russia. But even before the escalation of the Ukraine crisis, relations between Freetown and Washington were tense at times. Last year, US President Joe Biden snubbed Bio by refusing to invite the African leader to the US’ so-called “Democracy Summit.” No reasons were given. However, neighboring Liberia, which faced mass civil unrest of its own between 2019 and 2020, and whose officials have been sanctioned by the US over suspected corruption, did get an invite.,While Sierra Leone maintains economic and political ties with its former British colonial masters, and remains a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, Freetown has sought to expand its partnerships with other geopolitical power centers, including Russia and China. President Bio attended the Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi in 2019, where he discussed ways to strengthen economic cooperation between the distant nations. In February 2021, Freetown signed onto Moscow’s efforts to prevent the deployment of weapons in outer space. In May 2021, Bio spoke by phone to President Xi Jinping of China, where they discussed the friendly, “brotherly” relations between the two nations, as well Chinese assistance to Freetown in measures against COVID, and agricultural and economic development.,In this context, the reactions of major foreign powers to this month’s unrest have been telling. While the United States, Britain, and the European Union collectively expressed “grave concern” over the “disturbing reports of violence” and urged the parties to “stay calm, promote accountability and ensure respect for human rights,” China’s Embassy smoothed over the protests altogether, refraining from wagging its finger at Freetown and instead trumpeting the expanding cooperation between the two countries.,We are gravely concerned by reports of violence surrounding today’s demonstrations in Sierra Leone. We urge all parties to stay calm, promote accountability, and ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.— Bureau of African Affairs (@AsstSecStateAF) August 10, 2022,Similarly, while UK High Commissioner to Sierra Leone Lisa Chesney lectured President Bio about how “violence has no place in a democracy and the necessary investigation into August 10 can sit alongside de-escalation,” the Russian Embassy in the Republic of Guinea, which concurrently serves as the Embassy in Sierra Leone, only presented a bare bones report on the situation in the country, Bio’s meetings with community and tribal leaders, and indicated that an internal “debriefing” was being created “regarding the causes, course and consequences of the riots on August 10.”。 Condolences have continued to pour in following the passing of veteran producer M Saravanan, widely known as AVM Saravanan of AVM Studios. Revered as a doyen of Tamil cinema, Saravanan breathed his last on Thursday at the age of eighty-six due to age related ailments. His death has left a profound void in an industry he helped shape for decades.A Studio Mourns Its Guiding PresenceFrom morning, AVM Studios saw a steady flow of celebrities arriving to pay their final respects. His mortal remains were placed on the premises, a place synonymous with cinematic milestones, and one that now also holds the weight of collective grief and gratitude. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, veteran actor Sivakumar, Suriya, Rajinikanth, Vishal, and directors Vasanth and Parthiban were among those who placed garlands and offered condolences to his family.A visibly moved Sivakumar revisited the earliest chapter of his journey, recalling the moment Saravanan gave him the name by which the world would come to know him. “Saravanan introduced me to cinema in 1965 and changed my name to Sivakumar. To remember him and his good deed, I kept his name for my son Suriya as Saravanan,” he said. He also remembered a heartbreak from his early years, when a significant portion of his scene was cut from a film. “I remember crying in front of Manikkam theatre when my 500-foot-scene (in reels) was cut off from a film. AVM Saravanan consoled me, encouraged me to continue pushing through and said I would soon get a great role in films.”Actor Vishal joined the long line of voices honouring the producer’s influence. He recalled that AVM Studios had been a part of every phase of his life in cinema. “I remember meeting you as a kid, as an assistant director, as an actor, as a producer ever since I entered AVM studios which was a learning ground for me to be what I am today in the film industry.” Reflecting on Saravanan’s influence on the profession itself, he added, “Every producer used to look up to you for your sincerity and your dedication. I always wanted you and your production house to continue making great films but today we have lost another great film personality in Indian film industry. Your memories will always linger in our minds and your films will always be a learning ground for aspiring filmmakers.” தமிழ்த் திரையுலகின் முதுபெரும் ஆளுமைகளில் ஒருவரும் வரலாற்றுப் புகழ்மிக்க AVM நிறுவனத்தின் முகமாகவும் திகழ்ந்த ஏவி.எம். சரவணன் அவர்கள் மறைவெய்திய செய்தியறிந்து மிகவும் வருந்தினேன். தமிழ்த்திரையுலகின் பாதையைத் தீர்மானித்து உருவாக்கியதில் ஏவி.எம். நிறுவனத்தின் பங்கு எவ்வளவு… pic.twitter.com/pzB90zbDYU — M.K.Stalin - தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) December 4, 2025 Filmmaker Parthiban shared his own heartfelt tribute, calling Saravanan the embodiment of humility and discipline. “Even when he folds his hands, when we look at him, we become humble and fearful looking at him. Until his name is here in the Earth, we won't lose the respect we have for him.” Connecting him to the legacy of AV Meiyappan, he said, “He is considered as a God for artists like us. Saravanan is also like that for us.” Parthiban recalled writing to him shortly after the release of Murattu Kaalai in 1980, believing Meiyappan’s spirit could finally rest with pride. He added that while the void Saravanan leaves cannot be replaced, he has spoken to the family about ensuring the AVM legacy continues through new productions.A Legacy Remembered by the Artists He RaisedThe Tamil film fraternity woke up on Thursday to the news of his passing, prompting tributes from all corners. Chief Minister MK Stalin shared a message on his official X handle, writing, “I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of AVM Saravanan, one of the senior-most stalwarts of Tamil cinema and the iconic face of the historic AVM Studios. Just as AVM played a monumental role in shaping the direction of Tamil cinema, Mr Saravanan’s contribution to shaping the direction of AVM itself was equally immense.”Rajinikanth, who has a long association with the AVM banner, visited the studio and later addressed the media. Reflecting on their collaborations, he said, “He loved me a lot and was a well-wisher of mine. He stood by me when I went through difficult times. I have acted in nine films in AVM. All nine films emerged as big hits. It won't be an exaggeration if I say that the main reason for them becoming hits was Saravanan sir.” He described him as “a true example of a gentleman,” recalling his characteristic white attire and pure-hearted nature. Rajinikanth also noted how often Saravanan referred to his father affectionately as “Appachi.” உங்கள் பெயர் சொல்லும் பிள்ளைகளில் ஒருவனின் அஞ்சலி : pic.twitter.com/XWNx731BJc — Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) December 4, 2025 Kamal Haasan, whose association with AVM goes back to his childhood role in Kalathur Kannamma, shared a video message remembering the bond he shared with the producer. “The relationship I had with Thiru. AVM Saravanan is like the bond I shared with my brothers, Chandra Haasan and Charuhasan,” he said. He spoke of his early uncertainty about how to address the elders at the studio, and how, as he grew older, he understood the depth of respect they deserved. “Those confusions went away after I crossed 20 because I realised then that I should hold them with the same level of respect that I showed my father.” He ended by saying he shared in the grief of Saravanan’s family, especially MS Guhan.A Farewell Etched in Film HistoryFrom actors who found their names through him to superstars whose biggest hits arose from his banner, Saravanan’s imprint runs deep through Tamil cinema. AVM Studios continues to stand as a physical symbol of his legacy, but the true monument to his life lies in the careers he nurtured, the values he upheld, and the generations he shaped through quiet conviction.Also Read: PHOTOS: Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol Inaugurate DDLJ-inspired Statue in Leicester。
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