Regime, 1986-1992
Brigadier General Joseph Saidu Momoh, president Siaka Stevens’s hand-picked successor, was first perceived as the person who would rescue Sierra Leone from the jaws of authoritarian rule and instill transparency and accountability in government. On the political front, Momoh introduced a political philosophy he called “constructive nationalism.” According to this philosophy, Sierra Leoneans were to put the country above their own self-interests in all matters. However, even his own ministers did not practice this philosophy. Instead, they gave birth to an intraparty political club named Ekutay to further their own personal interests. At the height of the shift from authoritarian to democratic rule around the world, Momoh clung to the view that a one-party system was more appropriate in societies with multiethnic cleavages, such as Sierra Leone. In the end, however, he helped to pave the path toward multiparty democracy in Sierra Leone when he signed a new constitution in September 1991.
Momoh was inaugurated as president on November 28, 1985. In March 1986, Momoh’s government announced that it had foiled an attempted coup; more than 60 people were arrested. Of these, 18 were later charged. In early April, Francis K. Minah, the first vice president, was arrested and charged with treason. A government reshuffle led to the appointment of a new finance minister and the creation of the Ministry for Rural Development and Social Services. In October 1989, Minah and 15 others were implicated in a plot to assassinate Momoh and overthrow the government. Minah and 5 others were executed, and the remaining 10 were sentenced to life imprisonment.
To combat corruption in the public sector, Momoh initiated several measures in 1987. In July, the first casualty of the measures, the minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Forestry, was forced to resign for accountancy irregularities in the distribution of domestic sugar supplies. In August, a deputy minister and a number of senior officials in the civil service and the Bank of Sierra Leone were charged with financial corruption. During that same year, Momoh clamped down on the press by introducing severe penalties for the publication of “defamatory” articles. He also ordered government censorship and the inspection of private mail. In January 1988, the deputy minister of Development and Economic Planning was forced to resign; he and five other people were later indicted for fraud. Prompted by accusations of official corruption, Momoh reshuffled his cabinet in November, leading to the removal of a number of ministers. At the January 1989 All Peoples Congress (APC) conference, Momoh was unopposed as secretary general of the party. An official code of conduct for political leaders and public servants was also adopted at the conference.
In the early part of 1990, popular support for the establishment of a multiparty system became widespread. This desire was first rejected by Momoh, who urged instead broad-based participation in the one-party system. However, by the middle of August, Momoh had bowed to both national and international pressures and announced an extensive review of the constitution. The APC central committee approved a number of proposed constitutional amendments, allowing Momoh to appoint a 30-member national constitutional review commission. In the latter part of 1990, the constitutional amendment to reduce the minimum voting age from 21 to 18 years was adopted.
The constitutional review commission submitted a draft constitution in March 1991. This provided for the restoration of a multiparty political system, and also stipulated that the president be elected by a majority of votes cast nationwide and by at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in more than one-half of the electoral districts. The president’s tenure in office was limited to two five-year terms. In addition to appointing her or his own cabinet, the president was to have one vice president—not two, as in previous administrations. While accepting a majority of the proposals, the Momoh government rejected the call for the formation of an upper legislative chamber. Instead, the Momoh government opted for the establishment of a 22-member state advisory council to be made up of 12 paramount chiefs (representing each of the 12 districts) and 10 members appointed by the president. The government presented the draft constitution to the House of Representatives in early June and announced that the parliamentary term, which was due to expire that month, would be extended for one more year to compensate for the disruption caused by the conflict between the government and the Liberian-supported rebel forces of the Revolutionary United Front in the southern region of Sierra Leone. The government also declared that the general elections, initially scheduled for May, were to be postponed for one year to facilitate the transition to a plural political system.
In mid-July 1991, Musa Kabia, the minister of social affairs, rural development and youth, resigned from the cabinet due to disputes within the APC over the new constitution. Kabia and ten other members of the House of Representatives were temporarily suspended from the APC on the grounds that they had engaged in activities perceived to be contrary to the party’s interests. The House of Representatives approved the new constitution in August; it was to be endorsed by a national referendum at the end of that month. Meanwhile, political activities by other parties besides the APC remained illegal until the new constitution became effective. By the time the constitution was published in March, about ten opposition movements had been created. When the national referendum was conducted between August 23 and 30, it was approved by 60 per cent of the voters, with 75 per cent of the electorate participating in the process. In September, the new constitution was formally adopted, yet the 1978 constitution remained officially in effect. By the latter part of 1991, many members of Momoh’s administration, including the first and second vice presidents, had resigned from the government and the APC. In December, following legislation to provide for the registration of political associations, Momoh and his APC agreed with the leaders of the other registered political parties to cooperate in the establishment of a multiparty polity.
In the economic realm, two-thirds of the country’s labor force employed in agriculture suffered the most from the nation’s faltering economy during Momoh’s regime. Poor producer prices, coupled with an international slump in demand for cocoa and coffee, cut into rural incomes. Momoh’s promise to improve producer prices as part of a “green revolution” program went largely unfulfilled. Like its agricultural products, much of Sierra Leone’s minerals were being smuggled out of the country. By 1989, the cost of servicing the country’s debt had reached 130 per cent of its total exports.
Due to his administration’s failure to improve the serious economic situation, Momoh’s initial popularity declined precipitously in 1986. He was forced to implement economic austerity measures under the rubric of the structural adjustment program (SAP) recommended by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The measures included the introduction of a floating exchange rate, the elimination of government subsidies on rice and petroleum, the liberalization of trade, and increases in producer prices with the hope that they could encourage self-sufficiency for those trading in rice and other food products.
In November 1987, Momoh declared a state of emergency, as workers in the public sector engaged in strikes precipitated by the government’s inability to pay their salaries. He also announced measures to prevent the hoarding of currency and essential goods, and intensified his campaign against smuggling. Under the new measures, corruption was declared a criminal offense, and those accused of any crime could be tried in absentia.
By 1988, the IMF had withdrawn its support for the SAP on the grounds that Sierra Leone was ineligible for assistance because it had not made payment on its arrears. In 1989, the Momoh administration announced additional economic measures, including increasing the revenue from the mining sector and reorganizing unpredictable state-owned enterprises. This SAP, initially approved by the IMF, had to be postponed because the IMF was concerned about the government’s failure to reduce expenditure and to control debt.
On April 29, 1992, Momoh’s regime was ended when members of the armed forces seized a radio station in Freetown and occupied the presidential offices. The leader of the coup, Captain Valentine E. M. Strasser (age 27 at the time), subsequently announced that Momoh’ s government had been replaced by a five-member military junta. Momoh sought assistance from the Guinean government, which dispatched troops to Freetown. In the ensuing violence, more than 100 people were killed. On April 30, Momoh fled to Guinea, leaving Strasser to announce the establishment of the National Provisional Ruling Council.
Abdul Karim Bangura
See also: Sierra Leone: Stevens, Siaka and the All People’s Congress; World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and Structural Adjustment.
Biography
Born 1937 at Binkolo, near Makeni, in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. Educated at the Government Rural School at Wilberforce; the West African Methodist Collegiate School and the Technical Institute in Freetown; the Nigerian Military Academy in Kaduna (winning the baton of honor as best cadet in 1962); and the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England (winning the sword of honor for best overseas cadet in 1963). Commissioned as second lieutenant in the Royal Sierra Leone Military Force (RSLMF) in November 1963. Appointed commanding officer of the First Battalion of the RSLMF in 1969; deputy force commander in 1970; acting force commander in 1971; and force commander in 1972. In a cabinet reshuffle in 1975, appointed to the cabinet as minister of state. In 1985, recommended by president Siaka Stevens as his successor. On April 29, 1992, overthrown by the National Provisional Ruling Council, led by Captain Valentine E. M. Strasser.
Further Reading
Clapham, Christopher. “Sierra Leone: Recent History.” In Africa South of the Sahara. Detroit: Gale Research, 2000.
Fyle, C. Magbaily. “Popular Islam and Political Expression in Sierra Leone.” In Islam and Trade in Sierra Leone, edited by Alusine Jalloh and David E. Skinner. Trenton, N. J.: Africa World Press, 1997. Kurkowski, David C. (ed.). Current Leaders of Nations. Lansdale, Penn.: Current Leaders, 1990.
Musa, Sorie. Sierra Leone Digest 1993. Washington, D. C.: Sierra Leone Institute for Policy Studies, 1993.
Weeks, John. Development Strategy and the Economy of Sierra Leone. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1992.
World History
