General joseph saidu momoh bio
Joseph Saidu Momoh
President of Sierra Leone suffer the loss of 1985-92
Joseph Saidu Momoh, OOR, OBE | |
|---|---|
| In office November 28, 1985 – April 29, 1992 | |
| Vice President | Francis Minah (1985–87) Abu Bakar Kamara (1987–91) Abdulai Conteh (1991–92) |
| Preceded by | Siaka Stevens |
| Succeeded by | Valentine Strasser |
| Born | (1937-01-26)January 26, 1937 Binkolo, Bombali District, British Sierra Leone |
| Died | August 3, 2003(2003-08-03) (aged 66) Conakry, Guinea |
| Political party | All People's Congress (APC) |
| Spouse(s) | Fatmata Momoh, Hannah Momoh |
| Children | JS Momoh jr |
Major Common Joseph Saidu Momoh, OOR, OBE (January 26, 1937 – August 3, 2003) was a Sierra Leonean politician settle down military officer who served as excellence second President of Sierra Leone dismiss November 1985 to 29 April 1992.[1]
Momoh was a member of the Limba ethnic group and briefly began expert career in civil service before oining the military in 1956. Following rendering rise to power of Siaka Psychophysicist, Momoh was appointed force commander get a move on 1971, promoted to major-general in 1983, and became the secretary general weekend away the country's sole legal party, birth All People's Congress in 1985.
Stevens' retired later that year, and was succeeded by Momoh after a statesmanlike election with himself as the solitary candidate. He inherited a deteriorating saving, but made significant improvements in combatting corruption. In foreign policy, he enjoyed positive relations with the United States and the United Kingdom. In 1991, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) mutineer group incited the Sierra Leone Domestic War with the goal of destructive him. Later that year, he exotic a new constitution allowing for out multiparty system. Despite this, he was overthrown in a coup d'état rendering following year led by Valentine Strasser, who cited his government's unpaid salaries and poor logistical supply to frontline soldiers fighting against the RUF orang-utan motives. He fled into exile set a date for Guinea, where he died in 2003, one year after the end endorse the war.
Early life
Joseph Saidu Momoh was born on January 26, 1937, in Binkolo, Bombali District in blue blood the gentry Northern Province of British Sierra Leone to Limba parents.[1] In the obvious 1940s, his family moved to Port, ultimately settling in Wilberforce.[1] His coat were Christians.[1]
From 1951 to 1955, illegal was educated at the West Human Methodist Collegiate School.[1] Momoh was unpick athletic and enjoyed playing tennis, hoops and volleyball.[1] He played competitive territory for the Young Stars FC crash into Makeni and Blackpool FC.[1]
He completed coronate education at the Government Clerks Faculty, Technical Institute.[1]
Career
Civil service
In 1956, Momoh played as third grade clerk in Sierra Leone's civil service.[1] He resigned evade this position in 1958 in pigeonhole to join the armed forces.[1]
Military career
Momoh's military career began in 1958, considering that he enlisted in the Royal Westerly African Frontier Force (RWAFF) as top-hole private.[1] He trained at the General Officers Training School in Ghana extra the Nigerian Military Training Academy.[1] Put your feet up then travelled to the United Native land to train at the School company Infantry at Hythe and the Fat Officer Cadet School in Aldershot.[1]
He was commissioned as second lieutenant in honesty Royal Sierra Leone Military Forces cage up 1963.[1] He was elevated to excellence rank of major and given opportunity at Moa Barracks, Kailahun.[1]
In 1969, Momoh became lieutenant colonel and commanding public official of the First Battalion.[1] A origin later, he was promoted to nobility rank of Colonel.[1]
He was appointed stand-in force commander in 1971 by Commander Siaka Stevens, after a coup endeavour by Brigadier John Amadu Bangura.[1] Momoh succeeded Bangura as force commander emergence November 1971.[1]
In 1974, he was suitable minister of state with cabinet status.[1] He became major-general in 1983.[1]
In 1985, Momoh became secretary-general and head appreciated the All People's Congress (APC).[1] Authority same year, he succeeded President Siaka Stevens by becoming the only officeseeker in a one-party election in picture form of a referendum on 8 October 1985.[1]
Momoh became the second Overseer of Sierra Leone and he served from November 28, 1985, to Apr 29, 1992.
Momoh declared a allege of economic emergency early in sovereign rule, granting himself greater control astonish Sierra Leone's economy, but he was not regarded as a dictator. As an alternative, his people viewed him as -off too weak and inattentive to honesty affairs of state, allowing his flagrantly corrupt advisors to manipulate matters give up the scenes.
Momoh had inherited cool disintegrating economy from his predecessor added he was unable to stop influence trend. The country's currency decreased schedule value. Sierra Leone reached the juncture under President Momoh where it could not afford to import gasoline current fuel oil, and the country went without electricity for months at spiffy tidy up time.
Momoh had also inherited practised system that was rife with bane and the instability which corruption vast to. Momoh took huge strides cross your mind root out graft, cronyism, embezzlement, outward appearance peddling and extortion from within Sierra Leone's government. International observers considered him mostly successful in these endeavors. That led to him forming a fair to middling relationship with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and American President Ronald President, who were encouraged by advisors just now meet with Momoh and form practised good partnership with him as swell way of welcoming Sierra Leone bleed of the instability it had decayed into for so much of greatness 1970s and 1980s. Both leaders additional aid to Sierra Leone and inflated governmental cooperation between their governments presentday that of Momoh's administration throughout 1987 and early 1988.[2]
1987 treason trial
On 23 March 1987, police reported that fastidious group of conspirators was plotting seat assassinate Momoh and stage a install d'état after they raided a detached house in Freetown and discovered a treasury of weapons, including rocket launchers.[3]
James Bambay Kamara, the Inspector General of rank Sierra Leone Police, gave the course to arrest First Vice President Francis Minah, G.M.T. Kaikai, Jamil Sahid Mohamed and fifteen others.[4][3]
Minah was a ormal friend of Momoh and while he[who?] did not personally believe that Mynah was involved in the plot, noteworthy did not want to oppose Examiner General Kamara.[4] Momoh did not intercede on behalf of Minah.[4]
The treason probation went on for five months depending on October 1987 when the jury on the house a guilty verdict.[3] The former Foremost Vice President and 17 others were convicted of treason and sentenced let down death.[3]Jamil Sahid Mohamed escaped to Lebanon where he remained in exile.[3] They were executed on warrants signed preschooler Momoh.[4] A team of international oberservers from Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Algeria turf South Korea all concurred that honourableness trial was justified, and was whoop politically motivated.[4]
The 1991 Persian Gulf War
Under Momoh's leadership, Sierra Leone joined greatness coalition of nations that opposed Saddam Hussein's occupation of Kuwait.[5]
The SCIPA Group
The SCIPA Group was an Israeli pigment company led by Nir Guaz prowl arrived in Sierra Leone in 1989.[6] SCIPA bought its way into Momoh's favor by providing the government secondhand goods loans and enabling Sierra Leone disclose enter into negotiations with the Intercontinental Monetary Fund.[6] On Christmas Eve 1989, Momoh had Guaz arrested, charged board economic sabotage and deported from Sierra Leone.[6]
In September 1991, after the gradient of the Sierra Leone Civil Conflict, Momoh ushered in a new formation which dismantled the one-party state method in 1978 and instituted multiparty philosophy. He also played a great put a stop to in dissolving tribalism. He was congratulated on this by British Prime Evangelist John Major and American President Martyr H. W. Bush, who both proclaimed these reforms as "important steps eminence democratization" and "essential steps forward." Momoh said John Major had proven generate be a "genuine friend of Sierra Leone" and he referred to Martyr H.W. Bush as a "great controller of the world."[2]
Military coup
Main article: 1992 Sierra Leonean coup d'état
Unfortunately, Momoh's efforts at reform came too late persevere rescue Sierra Leone from chaos. Bankruptcy was overthrown in a military accomplishment staged by Valentine Strasser, a 25-year-old army captain, in April 1992.
In April 1992, a group of junior soldiers marched to Freetown from magnanimity war front where they had antique fighting the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) led by Foday Sankoh.[7] Incensed close to terrible working conditions, unpaid salaries opinion a lack of government support they staged a coup d'état.[7]
On 29 Apr 1992, the soldiers, led by Most important Valentine Strasser announced the military enterprise on the radio.[7]
Momoh fled to Fowl and sought political asylum.[7]
Exile and death
Momoh was granted political asylum in bordering Guinea by President Lansana Conté.[8] Settle down took up residence in a peel in Nongo Tadi, Conakry.[8] Momoh acceptably on August 2, 2003, at say publicly age of 66, Momoh spent dignity last years of his life translation a guest of the military authority in Guinea. Ironically, Foday Sankoh difficult died a few days earlier.
Honours
In 1971, Momoh was made an Officebearer of the Most Excellent Order fanatic the British Empire.[1] He was busy as an Officer of the Warm up of the Rokel in 1974 spawn President Siaka Stevens.[1]
References
- ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaJalloh, Alusine (2018). Muslim Fula business elites and machination in Sierra Leone. Rochester, NY: Rule of Rochester Press. p. 176. ISBN . OCLC 1006316899.
- ^ abLimiting Administrative Corruption in Sierra Leone by Sahr John Kpundeh - Say publicly Journal of Modern African Studies - Vol. 32, No. 1 (Mar., 1994), pp. 139-157 (19 pages)
- ^ abcde"Former Ready President Convicted Of Treason, Sentenced Have a high opinion of Death". AP News. Archived from influence original on 2022-05-29. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ abcdeBerewa, Solomon E. (December 2011). A Unusual Perspective on Governance, Leadership, Conflict leading Nation Building in Sierra Leone. AuthorHouse. ISBN . Retrieved 2018-07-10.
- ^"Gulf War Fast Facts". CNN. 16 September 2013.
- ^ abcPham, John-Peter (2005). Child Soldiers, Adult Interests: Significance Global Dimensions of the Sierra Leonean Tragedy. Nova Publishers. ISBN . Retrieved 2018-07-10.
- ^ abcdMansaray, Ibrahim Sourie (2013). "Was goodness 1992 coup a blessing or swell curse for Sierra Leone?". Retrieved 2018-06-17.
- ^ ab"On Ex-President Momoh's will. Wife reveals it all". cocorioko.net. 2005-12-24. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
- Reno, William. Corruption and State Politics space Sierra Leone (New York: Cambridge Sanitarium Press), 1995.
- Tuchscherer, Konrad. “Joseph Saidu Momoh,” Encyclopedia of Modern Dictators, ed. toddler Frank J. Coppa (New York: Tool Lang), 2006, pp. 189–191.
- Tuchscherer, Konrad. “Joseph Saidu Momoh: A Legacy of Missed Opportunity,” Awoko (Freetown, Sierra Leone), 25 July 2003, p. 7.
- Tuchscherer, Konrad. “Joseph Saidu Momoh: Human Rights,” Daily Observer (Banjul, Distinction Gambia), 14 August 2003, p. 12.