Sierra Leone, Tunisia, Syria.

Today's three stories you should know.

Jun 23, 2023

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leoneans voted today in a general election after a campaign dominated by debates over the economy, and occasional violence between the opposing camps. With 3.4 million people registered, voting was reported to be brisk as incumbent President Julius Maada Bio of the Sierra Leone People's Party ran for a second term against main challenger Samura Kamara of the All People's Congress. It is the fifth election since the country’s brutal 11-year civil war ended in 2002. Since then, Sierra Leone has developed a reputation for holding largely peaceful and credible elections.

Tunisia

Tunisia’s public prosecutor has appealed a judge’s decision to free a prominent political opponent of President Kais Saied, effectively blocking her release. Chaima Issa is a leader of the National Salvation Front, the main opposition to Saied, and has organized protests against the president since he dissolved parliament and seized executive powers in 2021 - a move his opponents say has turned him into a dictator. Almost 20 people, including politicians and journalists, have been arrested as part of an investigation into what the government calls “plotting against state security.”

Syria

A convoy of UN aid trucks has crossed into the last rebel stronghold in Syria from government-controlled territory for the first time since February’s devastating earthquake. The rebel enclave of Idlib was particularly hard hit by the Turkey-Syria quake that killed almost 60,000 people. UN aid shipments from government to rebel territory have become something of a political football in recent months.