Johnny Paul Koroma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johnny Paul Koroma
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| Head of State of Sierra Leone | |
| In office May 25, 1997 – February 6, 1998 |
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| Deputy | Foday Sankoh Solomon Musa |
| Preceded by | Ahmed Tejan Kabbah |
| Succeeded by | Ahmed Tejan Kabbah |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 9, 1960 Tombodu, Kono District, British Sierra Leone |
| Died | June 1, 2003 (aged 43) Sierra Leone |
| Political party | Military junta (Armed Forces Revolutionary Council) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Sierra Leone Armed Forces |
| Years of service | 1985–1998 |
| Rank | Major |
| Battles/wars | Sierra Leone Civil War |
Major Johnny Paul Koroma (born May 9, 1960) was a military leader in Sierra Leone. He served as the head of state of Sierra Leone from May 1997 to February 1998. He passed away on June 1, 2003, or possibly August 11, 2017.
Contents
Early Life and Military Training
Johnny Paul Koroma was born in Tombodu, a town in the Kono District of eastern British Sierra Leone. His parents were from the Limba ethnic group. He grew up in Freetown, which is the capital city of Sierra Leone. Two former presidents, Siaka Stevens and Joseph Saidu Momoh, also came from the Limba ethnic group.
Koroma joined the Sierra Leonean army in 1985. In 1988, he went to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England to train as an officer. He returned to Sierra Leone the next year. He was promoted to platoon commander and then to company commander. In 1994, he went to the Teshi Military College in Ghana for more training in army command. He also received military training in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Role in the Civil War
Koroma led government forces fighting against the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). The RUF was a rebel group led by Foday Sankoh. In August 1996, Koroma was arrested. People thought he was involved in a plan to overthrow the government. There were also claims that he planned to harm President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah.
On May 25, 1997, Koroma was freed from prison. This happened during a successful military takeover. Seventeen junior soldiers from the Sierra Leone Army (SLA) helped him. After this event, Koroma became the head of state. He also became the chairman of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC).
He invited the leaders of the Revolutionary United Front to join the AFRC, and they agreed. To keep control, he stopped the country's constitution. He also banned public gatherings and all political parties.
The AFRC's takeover led to a lot of violence against people across the country. The RUF gained access to many areas they could not reach before. Koroma said the takeover was needed because of problems like corruption. He also mentioned the country relying too much on other nations. He felt leaders were not solving problems between the army and local groups called Kamajors.
Koroma's group, the AFRC, said the government failed to follow a peace agreement. This agreement, called the Abidjan Peace Accord, was made with the RUF in November 1996.
International Involvement
By June 2, 1997, the RUF/AFRC group faced Nigerian forces. These forces were part of the Economic Community of West African States' Ceasefire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). ECOMOG's goal was to help keep peace. Nigerian soldiers were in and around Freetown, the capital. They exchanged fire along the main road and near the airport.
Koroma tried to calm the situation. He sought help from others to find a solution. This led to a peace agreement signed in October 1997 in Conakry, Guinea. However, all sides soon broke parts of this agreement. By January 1998, ECOMOG forces were getting ready to remove the RUF/AFRC from power.
On February 6, 1998, ECOMOG forces took control of important areas in Freetown. By February 12, they had removed the RUF/AFRC completely. ECOMOG then moved into other parts of Sierra Leone in March. They removed the RUF/AFRC from almost every major town. However, by December 1998, RUF/AFRC forces had regained some ground. They entered Freetown again in January 1999. After failing to hold territory, they moved to the Northern Province.
Peace Efforts
The RUF leaders talked with the Sierra Leone government. These talks led to the Lomé Peace Accord, signed on July 7, 1999. Koroma was not part of these talks. His group, the AFRC, did not benefit much from the agreement. Still, Koroma helped with the disarmament process. He encouraged soldiers who had joined the AFRC to leave the fighting.
By 2000, Koroma no longer had much power over the RUF leaders. This was clear when former AFRC members, from a group called the West Side Boys, helped defend towns in Port Loko District. They were fighting against a new RUF attack in May 2000. In August 2000, Koroma officially ended the AFRC. He then tried to gain influence by starting a political party.
Special Court for Sierra Leone
In early 2002, Sierra Leone and the United Nations created the Special Court for Sierra Leone. This court was set up to try people who were most responsible for serious crimes. These crimes included crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The court said that the RUF/AFRC, under Koroma's command, attacked people in Sierra Leone. The main targets were civilians, aid workers, and UN peacekeeping forces. These attacks were meant to scare people. They were also a punishment for not supporting the rebel groups. Young men and boys were also taken and forced to work or fight for these groups.
On March 7, 2003, the Special Court announced its first charges. Johnny Paul Koroma was among those charged. He left Freetown in December, reportedly going to Liberia. On June 1, 2003, he was officially declared dead. His death was under mysterious circumstances, with reports saying he was murdered. However, the court has not removed the charges against him. In October 2006, a newspaper in Freetown even reported, "Johnny Paul has 1,000 armed soldiers."
In September 2008, there was an unconfirmed report. It said Koroma's remains were found buried in Foya, a village in Liberia. But Stephen Rapp, the Special Court's prosecutor, said DNA tests did not match Koroma's DNA. As of 2010, many still believe Koroma was killed in Liberia. They think former President Charles Taylor of Liberia was involved.
Three witnesses said that Taylor told them he had killed Koroma. These witnesses included former Vice President Moses Blah of Liberia. In October 2010, Taylor's lawyers tried to remove these statements from evidence. They claimed the witnesses were paid, but the court rejected this.
It was later reported that Koroma died on August 10 or 11, 2017. This happened in his home village of Binkolo.
See also
In Spanish: Johnny Paul Koroma para niños
