List of heads of state of Sierra LeoneThis is a list of the heads of state of Sierra Leone, from the independence of the Sierra Leone in 1961 to the present day. From 1961 to 1971 the head of state under the Constitution of 1961 was the queen of Sierra LeoneElizabeth II, who was also the monarch of other Commonwealth realms. The monarch was represented in Sierra Leone by a governor-general.
Joseph Saidu MomohJoseph Saidu MomohOOROBE (26 January 1937 – 3 August 2003) was a Sierra Leonean politician and military officer who served as the second President of Sierra Leone from November 1985 to 29 April 1992. Momoh was a member of the Limba ethnic group and briefly began a career in civil service before joining the military in 1958.
Sierra Leone Civil WarBelligerentsSierra LeoneSLA (before and after the AFRC)CDF (Kamajors, Tamaboros, Kapras, etc.)Foreign mercenariesUnited Kingdom (2000–2002)GuineaECOMOG forces (1998–2000)Executive Outcomes (1995–1996)Supported by:United StatesBelarusUNAMSILBangladeshIndiaPakistan (2001–2005) KenyaRussia (1999–2005) Ukraine (1999–2005) NigeriaNorwayNew ZealandGhanaJordanGermanyLiberated ZoneRUFAFRC (1997–2002)West Side Boys (1998–2000)Liberia (1997–2002)Greater Liberia (1991–1997) NPFL (1991–1996)Foreign mercenariesSupported by:LibyaBurkina FasoSenegalCommanders and leadersJoseph Saidu MomohValentine StrasserJulius Maada BioAhmad Tejan KabbahSamuel Hinga NormanYahya KanuSolomon MusaMoinina FofanaAllieu KondewaTony BlairDavid RichardsLansana ContéMaxwell Khobe Vijay JetleyDaniel OpandeFoday SankohSam BockarieIssa SesayAugustine GbaoJohnny Paul KoromaFoday KallayCharles TaylorBenjamin YeatenStrength ~4,000 government soldiers and militiamen (1999)ECOMOG: ~700 Nigerian soldiers 6,000 UNAMSIL soldiers, 260 military observers, 4 Russian Mil Mi-24s (1999) ~4,500 deployed into theatre (1,300 ashore) ~20,000 rebels (1999)Casualties and losses 50,000 to 70,000< deaths; 2.5 million displaced internally and externallyThe Sierra Leonean Civil War (1991–2002) was a civil war in Sierra Leone that began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), with support from the special forces of Liberian dictator Charles Taylor, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government.
1992 Sierra Leonean coup d'étatBelligerentsGovernment of Sierra LeoneMilitary factionCommanders and leadersJoseph Saidu MomohYahya Kanu (unclear)Valentine StrasserSolomon MusaTom NyumaKomba MondehJulius Maada BioKomba KamboThe 1992 Sierra Leonean coup d'état was a coup d'état against the government of Sierra Leone by a group of young military officers led by 25-year-old Captain Valentine Strasser on 29 April 1992. Strasser took control of the government, deposing President Joseph Saidu Momoh.
Sierra LeoneSierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the west coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is 73,252 km2 (28,283 sq mi). It has a tropical climate and environments ranging from savannahs to rainforests. As of the 2023 census, Sierra Leone had a population of 8,460,512. Freetown is its capital and largest city.
Republic of Sierra Leone Armed ForcesThe Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces are the armed forces of Sierra Leone, responsible for the territorial security of Sierra Leone's borders and defending the national interests of Sierra Leone within the framework of the 1991 Sierra Leone Constitution. The RSLAF was formed after independence in 1961, on the basis of elements of the former British Royal West African Frontier Force, then present in the Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate.
FreetownFreetown (Krio: Fritɔun) is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and political centre, as it is the seat of the Government of Sierra Leone. The population of Freetown was 1,347,559 as of the 2024 census.
Secondary schoolA secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides students with secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both lower secondary education (ages 11 to 14) and upper secondary education (ages 14 to 18), i.e., both levels 2 and 3 of the ISCED scale, but these can also be provided in separate schools.
Allen TownAllen Town is a residential neighborhood in the East End of Freetown, Sierra Leone. It is densely populated, with an ethnically diverse population. Allen Town is the home of Former head of state Captain Valentine Strasser.
Military serviceMilitary service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Few nations, such as Israel, require a specific amount of military service from every citizen, except for special cases, such as limitation determined by a military physical or religious belief.
Military juntaA military junta () is a system of government led by a committee of military leaders. The term junta means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the national and local junta organized by the Spanish resistance to Napoleon's invasion of Spain in 1808. The term is now used to refer to an authoritarian form of government characterized by a politically dominant group of military officers.
Sierra Leone Creole peopleEthnic group of Sierra LeoneEthnic group*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.