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Sierra Leone becomes a Republic
parliament declared Sierra Leone a Republic. Siaka Stevens' title was changed from Prime Minister to President. -
constitutional referendum was held in Sierra Leone
The goal of the referendum was to change the country into a presidential single-party state, with the All People's Congress (APC) as the sole legal party. -
Major-General Joseph Saidu Momoh becomes president
Following Stevens's retirement Momoh served as The President of Sierra Leone from November 28 1985 untill April 29 1992. he was a professional soldier drawn to politics, Momoh rose through the ranks and into the highest position in the Sierra Leone Military as Major-General during his presidency. -
Civil War
The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) launched its first campaign in eastern Sierra Leone on March 23, 1991. In the months following refugees fled the conflict . Foday Sankoh was head of the military wing of the RUF. According to writer Abdul Koroma, the rebels were quick to demonstrate their brutality, rap and decapitating community leaders and putting their heads on stakes.
Later Forced recruitment of children was implemented by the RUF. -
National Provisional Ruling Council
On April 29 1992, a group of young soldiers, frustrated by the government's failure to deal with the rebels launched a military coup called the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) which sent president Momoh into exile in Guinea. were led by 25 year-old Valentine Strasser. The soldiers established the toppled APC administration with Yahya Kanu as its chairman. But Kanu was assassinated by fellow NPRC members, who accused him of trying to negotiate with the toppled APC administration. -
Presidential elections
In January 1996, after nearly four years in power, Strasser was ousted in a coup by fellow National Provisional Ruling Council members led by his deputy Brigadier General Julius Maada Bio. Bio claimed that Strasser was attempting to amend the age restriction aspect of the constitution in order to perpetrate his hold on power. Bio reinstated the Constitution and called for general elections. In the second round of presidential elections in early 1996, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah won the election. -
Armed Forces Revolutionary Council
Major General Johnny Paul Koroma was allegedly involved in an attempt to overthrow the government of president Kabbah. He was arrested, tried, convicted, and imprisoned at Freetown's Pademba Road Prison. But some top-rank Army officers were unhappy with this decision, and on May 25, 1997, a group of soldiers who called themselves the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) overthrew Kabbah. The AFRC released Koroma from prison and installed him as their chairman of the NPRC -
President Kabbah reinstated
The democratically elected government of president Kabbah was reinstated in March 1998. Hundreds of civilians who had been accused of helping the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) government were illegally detained. Courts-martial were held for soldiers accused of assisting the AFRC government. Twenty-four of these were found guilty and were executed without appeal in October 1998. -
Armed Forces Revolutionary Council unsuccessful again
On January 6, 1999, The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council made another unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the government, causing many more deaths and lots of destruction to property in and around Freetown.
