Women raped in Sierra Leone clashes

Violence returned to the streets of the Sierra Leone capital after years of relative stability [EPA]

At least 20 people have been injured and six women raped in clashes between the two largest political parties in SierraLeone.

The clashes were set off on Friday, when members of the opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) were accused of throwing stones and broken bottles at a parade led by the mayor of the governing All People's Congress (APC).

"There was also shooting during the fighting, but police were able to bring the fighting under control," a regional police commander, Assistant Inspector General David Sesay, said.Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd on Friday and again on Monday, as thousands of APC supporters converged on the SLPP's headquarters, trapping party members on the roof of the four-storey building.

An official at a hospital who asked not to be named said that at least 20 people were treated for injuries, including six women who were raped during the riot.

Sierra Leone has been recovering from years of political turmoil and has held two elections deemed by international observers to have been free and fair.Though rich in mineral resources that include diamond fields, the former British colony ranks bottom of the 177-nation UN Human Development Index, making it one of the poorest countries in the world.