Minister of Tourism and Culture Victoria Kamara said land-grabbing, illegal shanty structures and unauthorised construction were putting the country's 4,840 km (3,000 miles) of wetland cover under risk.

"I am now ordering the demolition of all structures built on Lumley Beach and Aberdeen Creek because the two areas are part of Sierra Leone's wetlands of international importance," she told squatters during an on-site visit.

"A lot of people have occupied the two locations and they have no right to be there as it is not a residential area."

She added: "My findings are that we have a lot of illegal structures erected in areas that have rich and unique biodiversity."

Kamara said she planned to meet all concerned parties including the city council and relevant government ministries to discuss the issue and formulate a plan of action.

Sierra Leone signed the Wetlands of International Importance Covention known as the Ramsar Covention in 1999 in New York which designates wetlands of international importance.

Days before the minister's visit, the state-operated Sierra Leone Environment Protection Agency (SLEPA) issued a warning that "several illegal and unauthorised (constructions) on the Lumley Beach and Aberdeen Creek are posing a threat to two of the country's sixty-six Ramsar sites."

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