Siaka Stevens

Siaka Probyn Stevens ( born August 24, 1905 in Moyamba; † 29 May 1988 in Freetown ) was 1971-1985 President of Sierra Leone.

Early years

Stevens came from the south of the country and resigned after his schooling at the Albert Academy in Freetown in 1923 the police with. 1931-1946 he worked as an administrative assistant at the railway line between the port of Pepel and the iron ore mines of Marampa. In 1943 he co-founded the Union of Mineworkers United Mineworkers Union and was until 1958 the Secretary-General. Member of the Territorial Assembly of the British protectorate he was 1946. 1947 he received a scholarship to Ruskin College, Oxford University.

Politician

After his return from England he went into politics and in 1951 was co-founder of the Sierra Leone People's Party ( SLPP ) and became a member of the Legislative Council, in which the party to the independence of the country in 1961 always had the majority. In 1952, he became Minister of Labour and mining. 1957 was elected to the House of Representatives, he lost the seat but because of a challenging results immediately. Dispute with the leadership of the SLPP meant that he founded the party People's National Party (PNP ), the Secretary-General and Deputy Chairman he was. In 1959 he took part in the discussions on the future independence of Sierra Leone in London. As the only member of the delegation, he refused the agreement reached his signature because of the contained defense pact between the two countries. A second reason was that the Government of Sierra Leone, with whom he had broken, did not want any new elections before independence. The latter took the opportunity to come to the government itself. After returning from these conversations, he was expelled from his PNP and founded the Elections before Independence Movement ( EBIM ), emerged from the later of the All People's Congress ( APC).

He used the alienation of some strains with the still ruling SLPP and could by an alliance with the Sierra Leone Progressive Independence Movement ( EBIM ) its APC in the elections of 1962 - establishing itself as a leading opposition force - the first after independence in 1961. Later he was elected mayor of Freetown.

Prime minister

After the elections of 17 May 1967, he was on target. His APC had won the election and Stevens was provided as Prime Minister. A few days later a military coup took place and he was first imprisoned and then went into exile.

Another coup meant that he could return and on 26 April in 1968 took up the post of Prime Minister. In September 1970, he declared a state of emergency, an additional measure was the nationalization of the diamond mines. After the introduction of the republic by a constitutional amendment on 19 April 1971, he was on April 21, the first president of Sierra Leone.

President

In the elections of 1973 his APC received all the seats in the House of Representatives, as the SLPP had boycotted the elections. His re- election as President in 1976 by ​​the Parliament was therefore a mere formality. On 12 June 1978 Stevens ' draft a new constitution was approved in a referendum officially 97.1 % of the vote whereby its APC was now united party of the country.

Domestically, his administration were accused of corruption and modest competence in solving the economic problems. Several coup attempts and assassinations failed.

In foreign policy, he fought for the movement of non-aligned states and African unity. From 1 July 1980 he was chairman of the Organization of African Unity for a year. In addition, he was involved in the Mano River Union with Liberia and Guinea and later, their meaning, as with most of these organizations, was more symbolic.

Stevens resigned on October 28, 1985 from his office, his successor was the only candidate of the desired of him, Major General Joseph Saidu Momoh.