Sergeants' Coup (Sierra Leone)
Date18 April 1968
Location
Sierra Leone
Result

Coup successful

Belligerents
Sierra Leone Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces Sierra Leone National Reformation Council
Commanders and leaders
Sierra Leone John Amadu Bangura Sierra Leone Andrew Juxon-Smith

The Sergeants' Coup was a military coup d'état in Sierra Leone that occurred on 18 April 1968 against Chairman of the National Reformation Council (NRC) and acting Governor-General of Sierra Leone Brigadier Andrew Juxon-Smith,[1][2] who declared himself the interim leader the year prior. The coup opened way for a 24-year-long All People's Congress dictatorship.

Background

In the general election of March 1967, Siaka Stevens' All People's Congress party won a plurality of parliamentary seats, defeating the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP). Before taking office however, Stevens was arrested by Brigadier General David Lansana who demanded that tribal representatives be elected as well. The NRC eventually ousted Lansana and placed the government under permanent military rule.

The coup

The coup plotters were soldiers in the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces who were dissatisfied with their low wages and poor conditions. They were part of the Anti-Corruption Revolutionary Movement (ACRM), who were led by Brigadier John Amadu Bangura, who served as Chief of the Defence Staff following the coup.[3] Bangura took issue with the government collapsing after a series of coups that followed the hotly contested elections of March 1967.

The sergeants first formed in the town of Darn and then moved to the capital of Freetown. The ACRM imprisoned senior NRC members and arrested all high-ranking officers in the army and the police. Bangura, briefly served as head of state from 18 April to 22 April 1968. At least 12 people were killed as a result of the coup.[4] On his last day in office, he gave the post of Prime Minister to Siaka Stevens after his predecessor Sir Henry Lightfoot Boston had declared the All People's Congress the winners of the election. At the same time, the Constitution of Sierra Leone was restored. After Steven's declared a one-party state, Bangura staged another military coup, this time it was unsuccessful. Bangura was later executed for treason. His cousin Tinga Seisay later became an active opponent of the Stevens government and a pro-democracy activist.[5] It is largely seen as an example of a coup failing to accomplish its stated objectives by empowering a later autocratic government.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Uwechue, Raph (1991). Africa Who's who. Africa Journal Limited. ISBN 978-0-903274-17-3.
  2. ↑ "Sierra Leone Demographics and Geography - Columbia Gazetteer of the World Online". 2006-10-03. Archived from the original on 2006-10-03. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
  3. ↑ "Home Page". mod.gov.sl. Ministry of Defence. 2018. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  4. ↑ "Sierra Leone: The Sergeants' Coup". Time. 1968-04-26. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
  5. ↑ "EverWebinar Discount and Special Promo Offer in 2018". ILHR. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
  6. ↑ "Debunking the Myth of the "Good" Coup d'État in Africa" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-07. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.