Sierra Leone Freetown in west Africa was set up by the British in 1788, as a refuge for escaped slaves (mainly from the Americas). Established as the first British Crown Colony in Africa in 1808, its hinterland was explored from 1890 and declared a British protectorate in 1896, though it was administered separately until 1951. Sierra Leone gained independence on 27 April 1961, under Prime Minister Sir Milton Margai (b. 1895, d. 1964) of the Sierra Leone People's Party. The latter's domination was brought to an end by a military coup in 1967, and a further coup established the predominance of the All People's Congress (APC) under Siaka P. Stevens. He extended his power in a one-party state in 1978, and survived several coup attempts and domestic instabilities until his retirement in 1985. He was succeeded by Joseph S. Momoh (b. 1937; d. 2003), who formed a civilian government in the same year. Momoh was deposed on 30 April 1992 in a military coup by Valentine Strasser (b. 1965). This sparked off ethnic violence, which had been more or less under the surface since independence, leading to anarchy, civil war, and the displacement of one-third of the population.
As the rebels advanced, Strasser announced his readiness for reconciliation, which led to presidential elections in February and March 1996. These were won by Ahmed Tejan Kabba of the Sierre Leone People's Party, but although they were generally considered fair, they failed to impress the guerrilla Revolutionary United Front (RUF) under Foday Sankoh, which continued its military operations. In April 1996 the civil war continued with renewed ferocity. Tejan Kabba was deposed in a coup in 1997, but returned six months later in a deal with the rebels brokered by
ECOWAS. Meanwhile, fighting against the rebels continued, with the RUF gradually extending its hold over the diamond-rich interior. The civil war led to a humanitarian catastrophe, as over one million refugees were estimated to be uprooted within the country, with a further 500,000 refugees being put up in camps in neighbouring Guinea and Liberia. In 2000 a contingent of 800 elite British troops landed in Freetown to support the government, secure the capital and train government soldiers. This led to the first successes in the government's fight against the RUF, which in turn became more conciliatory. A new peace initiative supported by UN troops began in late 2000, when the rebel forces declared a ceasefire. This was followed by efforts to encourage the RUF to surrender its arms in return for transforming the movement into a legitimate part of the political process while instituting an amnesty for its members.
