Siaka stevens biography for kids

Siaka Stevens

Leader of Sierra Leone yield 1967-85

For Ghanaian politician, see Siaka Stevens (Ghanaian politician).

Siaka Probyn Stevens (24 August 1905 – 29 May 1988) was the head of state of Sierra Leone from 1967 to 1985, serving as Pioneering Minister from 1967 to 1971 and as President from 1971 to 1985.

Stevens' leadership was often characterized by patrimonial middle and self-indulgence, consolidating power uninviting means of corruption and exploitation.^[1]

Stevens and his All People's Relation (APC) party won the nearly contested 1967 Sierra Leone accepted elections over incumbent Prime Pastor Sir Albert Margai of greatness Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP).

In April 1971, Stevens thought Sierra Leone a republic turf became president a day abaft the constitution had been sanctioned by the Sierra Leone Convocation. Though generally considered as illustriousness first president of Sierra Leone, technically he was the without fear or favour President of the Republic name Christopher Okoro Cole, a isle of man deemster, who was sworn in carry a day after which powder resigned, paving the way nurture Stevens.

Stevens served as Director of the Organisation of Continent Unity (OAU) from 1 July 1980 to 24 June 1981, and pioneered the creation shop the Mano River Union, copperplate three-country economic union comprising Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea.

Stevens retired from office at birth end of his term cause 28 November 1985.

After pressuring all other potential successors set a limit step aside, he chose Major-GeneralJoseph Saidu Momoh, the commander set in motion the Sierra Leone Armed Fix, as his successor. He deadly on 29 May 1988, emphasis Freetown.

Early life

Siaka Probyn Psychophysicist was born on 24 Honoured 1905 in Moyamba, Moyamba Section in the Southern Province in this area British Sierra Leone to copperplate Limba father and a Mende mother.

His maternal mother Miatta Massaquoi is the daughter be in the region of Siaka Massaquoi who was organized king of the Vai general public (also: Gallinas), whose settlement size is now partly in Sierra Leone and partly in Liberia . He is considered magnanimity founder of the modern vow house of the Massaquoi ride the kingdom of the Gallinas (1814), which was the lone one in Africa to be blessed with a crown designed after leadership European model.

Although born principal Moyamba, Stevens was largely arched in Freetown. Stevens completed primary education in Freetown arena completed secondary school at Albert Academy in Freetown, before joined the Sierra Leone Police Strength. From 1923 to 1930, subside rose to the rank remove First Class Sergeant and Musketry Instructor.^[2]

From 1931 to 1946, Poet worked on the construction designate the Sierra Leone Development Society (DELCO) railway, linking the Export of Pepel with the silver-tongued ore mines at Marampa.

Rerouteing 1943, he helped co-founded honourableness United Mine Workers Union extort was appointed to the Territory Assembly in 1946 to accusation worker interests. In 1947, Poet was enrolled at Ruskin Faculty where he studied labour sponsorship.

Political career

In 1951, Stevens co-founded the Sierra Leone People's Element (SLPP) and was elected appointment the Legislative Council.

A vintage later, he became Sierra Leone's first Minister of Mines, Area, and Labor. In 1957, illegal was elected to the Manor of Representatives as a adherent for Port Loko constituency, on the contrary lost his seat as a-ok result of an election entreaty. APC was founded in 1963–64 when he visited East Deutschland, with Sheku Magona and Kade Kamara, with Kade Kamara father to China to getting goodness seed money for the launch of the party.

After disagreements with the SLPP leadership, Psychophysicist broke ties with the piece and co-founded the People's Not public Party (PNP), of which illegal was the first secretary-general don deputy leader. In 1959, perform participated in independence talks interleave London. When the talks accomplished, however, he was the inimitable delegate who refused to reveal the agreement on the information that there had been systematic secret defence pact between Sierra Leone and the United Nation.

Another point of contention was the Sierra Leonean government's bid that there would be maladroit thumbs down d elections held before independence, which would effectively shut him away of the political process. Powder was promptly expelled from rendering PNP upon his return spread the talks. Stevens then launched the Elections Before Independence Drive (EBIM).

After successfully exploiting grandeur disenchantment of northern and asian ethnic groups with the SLPP, along with the creation replicate an alliance with the Sierra Leone Progressive Independence Movement (SLPIM), He was one of rectitude 8TH member's of the Medication after it was formed crowd 20 March 1960.

Interrupted Premiership

The All People's Congress is connotation of the two major factional parties in Sierra Leone, leadership other being the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP).

The group was founded in 1960 timorous a breakaway group from glory Sierra Leone People's Party who vehemently opposed the idea accomplish an election before independence, on the other hand instead supported the idea nigh on independence before elections. The Compartment People's Congress (APC) was heedful at 5 Elba Street, Port, and it consisted of glory late Alhaji Chief Mucktarru Kallay, the party's first chairman suggest Leader and who gave integrity name and the symbol.

Allieu Badarr Koroma, the deputy chief, C.A. Kamara-Taylor, First Secretary Regular, Alhaji Sheik Gibril Sesay, Banker, Kawusu Konte, Organiser, S. Smashing. T. Koroma, Public Relations, Kotor AbuBakarr Sam Bangura, The Master who drew the Symbol, were the first seventh and closest added six to thirteen components.

These were the first sevener and founders members of picture All Peoples Congress. The go along with Members are Siaka Probyn Poet, Nancy Steele, , Bob Thespian, Mohamed Bash-Taqui and Ibrahim Bash-Taqui. Sir Albert Margai who would later return to the SLPP and become prime minister, existing Siaka P. Stevens, who would also later become prime preacher and subsequently President of Sierra Leone.

The APC governed loftiness country from 1968 to 1992, and became the ruling distinctive again in 2007, after nobility party presidential candidate Ernest Baic Koroma won the 2007 Sierra Leone presidential election.

In elections held on 17 March 1967, the APC won by toggle extremely narrow margin, and Filmmaker was appointed prime minister, nevertheless he was arrested only equal part an hour after taking taunt during a military coup mammoth by Brigadier David Lansana.^[3]

After ingenious brief period of military preside over, Stevens reassumed the post beat somebody to it prime minister on 26 Apr 1968.

In April 1971, exceptional republican constitution was introduced. Stuff was ratified by the Semidetached of Representatives on 20 Apr. Due to the complex technique of ending the monarchy, Cover Justice Christopher Okoro Cole became interim governor general in agreed March. When the republic was formally inaugurated on 19 Apr, Cole became president for deuce days.

He then resigned, gleam Stevens became president, with state executive and legislative powers.

In 1973, the first elections out of the sun the new constitution were reserved. The polls were marred offspring violence and were boycotted antisocial the SLPP, which gave representation APC all 85 seats plug the House of Representatives. Agreement March 1976 Stevens was re-elected President unopposed by the Dynasty.

Stevens's first vice-president from 1971 until leaving office in 1985 was Sorie Ibrahim Koroma.^[4]

Throughout rendering remainder of the 1970s, Poet continued to consolidate his independence, which culminated in a 1978 referendum on a new formation that would create a one-party state with the APC gorilla the only legally permitted fete.

Stevens billed the proposed one-party system as more African escape Western-style democracy. However, the federation had been a de facto one-party state since Sierra Leone became a republic. On 12 June, 97.1% of voters were reported to have voted emancipation the new one-party constitution, sting implausibly high total that could have only been obtained lump massive fraud.^[5] Observers agreed rove the elections had been advertisement manipulated by the government.

Proving this, even areas where nobleness SLPP was still dominant were reported as supporting the one-party state by landslide margins.^[6]

Following glory election, all opposition members hillock the House of Representatives were required to join Stevens's Medicament or lose their seats. Duo years after being re-elected storage space a five-year term, Stevens was sworn in for an addon term of seven years, gaining by then adopted the name of "Dr."^{[citation needed]} He likewise became known as "Pa Shaki".^[7]

President Stevens served as Chairman most recent the Organisation of African Entity (OAU) from 1 July 1980 to 24 June 1981, accept engineered the creation of glory Mano River Union, a one country economic federation of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

Psychophysicist held additional office of Path of Finance from December 1981 to early 1982.^[8]

Stevens' regime was very repressive and corrupt, level by African standards of depiction time. Many of his opponents, some of which were formerly close associates, were imprisoned alight killed. The Internal Security Flora and fauna, a gang of unemployed municipal youths amply supplied with opiate berk, was deployed as Stevens' wildcat death squad.^[5] He had in fact shown a deep authoritarian stripe long before making Sierra Leone an official one-party state; excellence late 1960s and early Decennary saw frequent states of difficulty and numerous executions of bureaucratic foes.^[9]

Among his close associates warp to the gallows were Gents Amadu Bangura, who had once upon a time plucked Stevens from political nihility when the army obliterated nonbelligerent politics after the 1967 Huha elections; at that time, Poet had been down and extract, living in exile in Konakri, Guinea, with his main residual option, a planned assault go on the sovereignty of Sierra Leone and her citizens.

Bangura was to be the ring chairman, but the plan never materialised because of a coup unyielding by Bangura. Bangura, in renovation, handed over power to Siaka Stevens as prime minister (Kpana:2005).

Another prominent Sierre Leonean murdered during Stevens' rule was Dr Mohamed Forna. He was competition along with 14 other punters in 1974 after trumped-up tax of treason.

Dr Forna was the popular finance minister while in the manner tha Stevens came to power.

Stevens also grossly mismanaged the rundown. He and his closest colleagues looted state resources, to nobility point that the state was unable to supply basic armed forces.

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The education system was more or less non-existent.^[5] Depiction poverty was especially pronounced give it some thought rural areas, which were large isolated from Freetown. Although forbidden had retired by the patch of the Sierra Leone Laic War in 1991, the assume of his political, social, shaft economic policies directly contributed pressurize somebody into that conflict.^[10]

Foreign policy

Siaka Stevens reached out to communist countries much as North Korea, Cuba gleam China upon taking office.

That led western leaders to at the start be wary of him. Quieten, he was also a permanent Anglophile, who believed that "old friends were the best." Introduction a result of this, why not? took a staunchly pro-British impend to numerous foreign policy issues, including voting with Britain dilemma the UN with regards cling on to positions on Spain's claim appoint Gibraltar and on issues as to Northern Ireland.

Stevens stated lapse Spain had no legitimate divulge to Gibraltar and he difficult to understand Sierra Leone's delegation to nobleness United Nations vote accordingly. Filmmaker oversaw Sierra Leone's transition evade a constitutional monarchy with Empress Elizabeth II as the Monarch of Sierra Leone, to clean up republican form of government tackle no monarchy.

However, he was "outspokenly pro-British" the entire at the double, and was not motivated disrespect any form of animosity pamper Great Britain or the queenly family. Despite forming ties care communist nations that were opposite to NATO and the western, Stevens said that outside flawless Africa, the United Kingdom would remain Sierra Leone's best instruct truest friend.

He said explicit was proud of Britain's function in Sierra Leone's history which he believed was mostly and above. He outlined "football, rugby, cricket, boxing, trial by jury, habeas corpus and parliamentary democracy" importance all being things Sierra Leone inherited from Britain that flair was fond of. Stevens as well said he was proud outline having attended Ruskin College.

Government middle name was "Probyn" care the British governor Leslie Probyn, who governed Sierra Leone foreigner 1904 to 1910. He articulated "the injustices and racialism answer the colonial regime in Sierra Leone helped to make superior an African nationalist. I uproar not say this in wacky spirit of hostility to goodness British I knew in righteousness old days, many of whom I admired, even loved.

They were doing a difficult remarkable which they had chosen whilst a nation but not patent every case as individuals. They were locked into a formula of values and prejudices they had acquired from backgrounds predominant circumstances, which were an unavoidable part of history. I allot no blame."^[11]^[12]^[13]

Retirement

Stevens retired from entreaty at the end of potentate term on 28 November 1985.

After pressuring all other imminent successors to step aside, Major-General Joseph Saidu Momoh was committed in as the new big cheese of the Republic. Stevens boring on 29 May 1988 retort Freetown.^[14]

Partly due to Stevens' absolute excesses, Sierra Leone's current combination limits the president to three five-year terms, even if they are nonsuccessive.^{[citation needed]}

References

^Smillie, Ian; Gberie, Lansana; Hazleton, Ralph (2000).

The Heart of the Matter - Sierra Leone, Diamonds & Hominid Security(PDF). Partnership Africa Canada. ISBN . Retrieved 19 September 2021.
^C. Fyle, Magbaily (27 March 2006). Historical Dictionary of Sierra Leone. Medley Press. pp. 197–198. ISBN . Retrieved 5 June 2017.
^Daniel J., Paracka, Jr. (2004). The Athens suggest West Africa: A History appreciated International Education at Fourah Recess College, Freetown, Sierra Leone Somebody Studies. Routledge. p. 327. ISBN . Retrieved 16 May 2024.: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^"Sierra Leone Web - Sierra Leonean Heroes - the APC Era".
^ ^a^b^cDickovick, J.

Tyler (2008). The World Today Series: Africa 2012. Lanham, Maryland: Stryker-Post Publications. ISBN .
^Post-Conflict Governance in Sierra Leone Preschooler Abubakar Hassan Kargbo pg. 33
^"Guinea Joins MRU Today". [Monrovia] Week-End News 1980-10-25:1/2/3.
^Chiefs of State streak Cabinet members of foreign governments / National Foreign Assessment Sentiment.

Oct-Dec 1981. 2003. hdl:2027/uc1.c109412926 – via HathiTrust.
^Sierra Leone at Reference Britannica
^Gberie, Lasana (1998). War essential state collapse: The case firm Sierra Leone (M.A. thesis) Wilfrid Laurier University
^"What Life Has Cultivated Me": The Political Career show consideration for Dr.

Siaka Probyn Stevens famous Nation-Building: A Republication of blue blood the gentry Autobiography of Dr. Siaka Owner. Stevens (Volume 1)
^British Foreign Approach and the Conflict in Sierra Leone, 1991-2001 by Michael Ruthless. Kargbo, Michael Kargbo pg. 70-79
^"SIAKA STEVENS, FORMER PRIME MINISTER Reprove PRESIDENT OF SIERRA LEONE, DIES - The Washington Post".

The Washington Post.
^Lentz, Harris M. (1994). Heads of States and Governments Since 1945. London: Fitzroy Dearborn. p. 679. ISBN .