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375:, the candidate of the APC and the mayor of Freetown. Stevens had defeated the incumbent prime minister, Sir Albert Margai, by a narrow margin. Stevens won the majority of the vote in the north of the country and in the western area, including in Freetown. Albert Margai on the other side, won the vast majority of the vote in south-eastern Sierra Leone. Sir Albert conceded defeat and handed power to Siaka Stevens. Stevens was sworn in as Sierra Leone's third prime minister on 21 March 1967 in Freetown. Mere hours after he took office, soldiers stormed the State House and abducted Stevens at gunpoint. The coup was led by
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412:, an ethnic Limba. The ACRM imprisoned Brigadier Andrew Juxon-Smith and other senior NRC members and restored the constitution. In Brigadier Bangura's first speech, he urged Sierra Leoneans to stay calm and appealed to the military to respect the constitution and stay out of politics. Bangura invited Stevens to the state house and reinstated him as prime minister in a special ceremony. Brigadier Bangura was accused of tribalism in favor of Siaka Stevens.
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386:. Brigadier Lansana was a prominent supporter of Albert Margai, who had appointed him to the top command in 1964. Brigadier Lansana declared a state of emergency and imposed martial law. He insisted that the determination of the winner of the election should await the election of the tribal representatives in Parliament, mostly from Mende
135:(SLMF), on grounds that the determination of office should await the election of the tribal representatives to the house. A group of senior military officers overrode this action by seizing control of the government on 23 March, arresting Brigadier Lansana, and suspending the constitution. The group constituted itself as the
269:, Sierra Leone's foreign minister and a close ally of Sir Milton. Sir Albert Margai was elected by a majority vote in Parliament to be the new leader of the SLPP and the next prime minister of Sierra Leone. Sir Albert Margai's leadership was briefly challenged by Sierra Leone's Foreign Minister John Karefa-Smart, an ethnic
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by execution. On 29 March 1970, Bangura was hanged at the Kissy Road in central
Freetown. In March 1971, a group of senior military officials attempted an unsuccessful military coup. The coup leaders were convicted and executed, including several senior officers in the army and some senior government
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Unlike his late brother Milton, Sir Albert was opposed to the colonial legacy of allowing the country's
Paramount Chiefs executive powers and he was seen as a threat to the existence of the ruling houses across the country. This made him unpopular with the powerful paramount chiefs, most of whom were
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Stevens assumed power again in 1968 with a great deal of promise and ambition. Much trust was placed upon him as he championed multi-party politics. Upon taking power from the military, however, he drove the SLPP from competitive politics in general elections using violence and intimidation. To gain
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Sir Albert was sworn in as Sierra Leone's second prime minister the same day his brother died at a ceremony held at the Sierra Leone's parliament in
Freetown. Soon after Margai was sworn in as prime minister, he immediately dismissed Karefa-Smart and several other senior government officials who had
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claim against his government. Under Albert Margai, all Sierra
Leoneans had equal access to free and fair trial. Sir Albert had the opportunity to perpetuate himself in power, but he elected not to do so even when the opportunities presented themselves. He had the police and the army on his side and
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Upon Margai's death on 28 April 1964, an internal crisis within members of the Sierra Leone People's party erupted as to who would succeed Margai as prime minister. The parliament of Sierra Leone held an emergency session to elect a new prime minister; the person must be a member of the ruling SLPP
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Many senior officers in the Sierra Leone military were disappointed but none could confront
Stevens. Brigadier General Bangura, who had reinstated Stevens as prime minister, was widely considered the only person who could put the brakes on Stevens. Bangura was a magnetic and popular figure among
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and the notion of separation of powers, with multiparty political institutions and fairly viable representative structures. Margai used his conservative ideology to lead Sierra Leone without much strife. He appointed government officials with a clear eye to satisfy various ethnic groups. Margai
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An alleged plot to overthrow president
Stevens failed in 1974 and its leaders were executed. In March 1976, Stevens was elected without opposition for a second five-year term as president. On 19 July 1975, 14 senior army and government officials including Brigadier David Lansana, former cabinet
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After the return to civilian rule bye-elections were held beginning in the fall of 1968 and an all-APC cabinet was appointed. Tranquility was not completely restored: in
November 1968 a state of emergency was declared after provincial disturbances, and in March 1971 the government survived an
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In the national parliamentary election of May 1977, the APC won 74 seats and the main opposition, the SLPP, won 15. The SLPP condemned the election, alleged widespread vote-rigging and voter intimidation. In 1978, the APC dominant parliament approved a new constitution making the country a
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troops requested by
Stevens to support his government were in the country from 1971 to 1973. In May 1973, general elections were held throughout the country, but the main opposition, the SLPP, boycotted the 1973 general election, alleging widespread intimidation and procedural obstruction.
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unsuccessful military coup. In April 1971 a republican constitution was adopted under which
Stevens became president. In 1972 by-elections the opposition SLPP complained of intimidation and procedural obstruction by the APC and militia. These problems became so severe that it boycotted the
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domination of the civil service and many ethnic
Creoles lost their positions in the civil service as a result. Sir Albert Margai was highly criticized during his tenure as prime minister. He was accused of corruption and of a policy of affirmative action in favor of the
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founding members of the SLPP. To strengthen support for his reform agenda for the party and the country the new prime minister brought into the executive of the SLPP and his government younger, western-educated, and more radicalised members of the party including
155:; as a result the APC won 84 of the 85 elected seats. In July 1974, the government uncovered an alleged military coup plot. As in 1971, the leaders were tried and executed. In 1977, student demonstrations against the government disrupted Sierra Leone politics. A
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ethnic group. During Albert Margai's administration, The Mende increased their influence both in the civil service and the army. Most of the top military and government positions were held by Mendes. Sir Albert also tried to establish a
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In early 1977, a major anti-government demonstration by students and youth occurred throughout the country against the APC government and deteriorating economic conditions. Police and the army put down the demonstration.
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successfully built coalitions from in the 1950s to attain independence without bloodshed. With his genteel nature, Margai employed a brokerage style of politics by sharing political power between political groups and the
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Stevens is generally criticised for dictatorial methods and government corruption, but reduced ethnic polarisation in government by incorporating members of various ethnic groups into his all-dominating APC government.
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Sierra Leoneans. The army was devoted to him and this made him potentially dangerous to Steven's new agenda in the shifting political climate of Sierra Leone. In January 1970, Bangura was arrested and charged with
519:. The 1978 referendum made the APC the only legal political party in Sierra Leone. This move lead to another major demonstration in many parts of the country but again it was put down by the army and the police.
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On 27 April 1961, Milton Margai led Sierra Leone to independence from the United Kingdom. Thousands of Sierra Leoneans across the nation took to the streets to celebrate their independence. The nation held its
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in opposition to the APC government. But after Stevens appointed an ethnic Temne, Sorie Ibrahim Koroma as vice-president, the Temne appeared to have emerged as an influential group in the APC government.
350:. Sir Albert tolerated criticism of his government, even by his political opponent. Not a single journalist or politician was killed during his term in office. Sir Albert tolerated criticism or written a
147:. NRC members were imprisoned, army and police officers were deposed, the democratic constitution was restored, and power was handed back to Stevens, who at last assumed the office of prime minister.
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as its chairman. On 18 April 1968, the NRC was in turn overthrown by a third group of senior army, who called themselves the Anti-Corruption Revolutionary Movement (ACRM), led by Brigadier General
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After the return to civilian rule, by-elections were held (beginning in autumn 1968) and an all-APC cabinet was appointed. Calm was not completely restored. In November 1968, Stevens declared a
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Stevens had campaigned on a platform of socialist principles. However, when he became prime minister he abandoned his pre-election promises and employed an authoritarian model of governance.
273:, who questioned Sir Albert's succession to the SLPP leadership position. Kareefa-Smart received little support in Parliament in his attempt to have Margai stripped of the SLPP leadership.
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An important aspect of Margai's character was his self-effacement. He was neither corrupt nor did he make a lavish display of his power or status. Sir Milton's government was based on the
397:, an ethnic Creole, in turn seized control of the government, arrested Lansana and suspended the constitution. Martial law was maintained. The group constituted itself as the
127:– APC leader and Mayor of Freetown – as the new prime minister. Within a few hours, Stevens and Lightfoot-Boston were placed under house arrest by Brigadier
302:(PhD). The party was thus divided with the traditionalist and more powerful old guard against the new and younger leaders. As Prime Minister Sir Albert Margai opposed
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but with very little support in Parliament, even among his fellow SLPP members and was also met by fierce resistance from the main opposition the
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nothing could have prevented him from achieving his ambition to hold on to power, but he chose not to and called for a free and fair elections.
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Child soldiers, adult interests: the global dimensions of the Sierra Leonean tragedy
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in March 1967, the APC won a plurality of the parliamentary seats. Accordingly, the
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and plotting to commit a coup against the Stevens government. He was convicted and
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party. One of the two leading candidates to succeed Margai as prime minister was
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under universal adult franchise in May 1962. Upon Sir Milton's death in 1964, his
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The Final Report of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Sierra Leone
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served under his elder brother Sir Milton's government, as he viewed them as
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On 23 March 1967, however, a group of senior army officers led by Brigadier
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After the closely contested general election in March 1967, Sierra Leone
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A dirty war in West Africa: the RUF and the destruction of Sierra Leone
100:, succeeded him as prime minister. Sir Albert attempted to establish a
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217:. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.
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as Vice President. Under the APC regimes headed by Stevens, the
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declared the new prime minister to be Siaka Stevens, an ethnic
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and a threat to his administration. Sir Albert appointed the
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outside the home of supporters of the rival SLPP in 1967.
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State failure and state weakness in a time of terror
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606:. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. pp. 26–27.
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233:Learn how and when to remove this message
747:Sierra Leone in World War II (1939–1945)
657:Advocate Nations of Africa: Sierra Leone
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476:of Liberia signed a treaty forming the
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428:after disturbance in the provinces.
546:. Nova Publishers. pp. 32–33.
484:. In 1975, Sierra Leone joined the
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1229:Contemporary history by country
390:in South-Eastern Sierra Leone.
359:Three military coups, 1967-1968
752:Early independence (1961–1978)
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369:Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston
121:Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston
46:Proposed since February 2024.
399:National Reformation Council
277:Albert Margai Administration
137:National Reformation Council
133:Sierra Leone Military Forces
662:September 27, 2013, at the
627:Rotberg, Robert I. (2003).
567:John R. Cartwright (1978).
213:the claims made and adding
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113:closely contested elections
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32:Sierra Leone (1961–1971)
575:. Croom Helm. pp.
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433:
430:
423:
419:
392:
362:
341:
296:
280:
256:
244:
229:
220:
197:
166:
149:
110:
94:half-brother
75:
54:
45:
30:
1097:LGBT rights
976:Agriculture
737:(1600–1787)
482:Sekou Toure
459:joined the
444:officials.
401:(NRC) with
290:politician
247:rule of law
1218:Categories
1062:Disability
995:(currency)
925:Parliament
893:Government
527:References
502:Lieutenant
488:(ECOWAS).
437:conspiracy
223:April 2011
207:improve it
1092:Languages
1067:Education
1021:Transport
935:President
903:Judiciary
883:Elections
800:Geography
492:minister
403:Brigadier
388:chiefdoms
211:verifying
123:declared
1198:Category
1112:Religion
1102:Polygamy
1047:Abortion
913:Military
856:Politics
842:Wildlife
660:Archived
284:traitors
178:suffrage
1189:Outline
1150:Cuisine
1127:Culture
1035:Society
1011:Tourism
981:Banking
964:Economy
873:Cabinet
822:Climate
812:Borders
757:1961–71
724:History
466:Guinean
271:Sherbro
205:Please
72:in 1968
41:Discuss
1203:Portal
1170:Sports
1135:Anthem
1082:Health
1001:Mining
993:Leone
637:
610:
583:
550:
332:Kabala
304:Creole
288:Creole
96:, Sir
80:. The
66:Kabala
37:merged
1165:Music
1160:Media
1117:Women
579:–79.
461:Mende
457:Temne
453:Limba
373:Limba
352:libel
309:Mende
1155:Flag
635:ISBN
608:ISBN
581:ISBN
548:ISBN
500:and
367:Sir
346:and
70:SLPP
1140:Art
328:APC
260:Sir
209:by
111:In
35:be
1220::
649:^
577:77
334:,
707:e
700:t
693:v
677:.
643:.
616:.
589:.
556:.
236:)
230:(
225:)
221:(
203:.
43:)
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