List of heads of state of Sierra Leone

This is a list of the heads of state of Sierra Leone, from the independence of the Sierra Leone in 1961 to the present day.

From 1961 to 1971 the head of state under the Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961 was the Queen of Sierra Leone Elizabeth II, who was also the Monarch of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. The monarch was represented in Sierra Leone by a Governor-General. Sierra Leone became a republic under the Constitution of 1971 and the Monarch and Governor-General were replaced by an ceremonial President, a year later it became an executive Presidency.

Monarch (1961–1971)
The succession to the throne was the same as the succession to the British throne.

№MonarchPortraitReignReign startReign end 1 Queen Elizabeth II 60px  1961  1971

Governor-General
The Governor-General was the representative of the monarch in Sierra Leone and exercised most of the powers of the Monarch. The Governor-General was appointed for an indefinite term, serving at the pleasure of the Monarch. After the passage of the Statute of Westminster 1931, the Governor-General was appointed solely on the advice of the Cabinet of Sierra Leone without the involvement of the British government. In the event of a vacancy the Chief Justice served as Officer Administering the Government.

List of heads of state of Sierra Leone
№Name PortraitTook officeLeft officePolitical Party 1 Sir Maurice Henry Dorman 60px  1961  1962Sierra Leone (1961–1971) 1Sir Milton Margai(1895–1964)60px 27 April 1961 28 April 1964(Died in Office)Sierra Leone People's Party2Sir Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston60px 1962 1962  1962  19672Maurice Henry Dorman 
(1912–1993)28 April 196428 April 1964Independent 3 Sir Albert Margai(1910–1980)60px 28 April 1964 21 March 1967Sierra Leone People's Party4Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston 
(1898–1969)21 March 196721 March 1967Independent5Banja Tejan-Sie 
(1917–2000)21 March 196721 March 1967Independent 6Siaka Stevens(1905–1988)(Deposed)All People's CongressSir Banja Tejan-Sie21 March  196721 March  1967Military rule (1967–1968) 7 David Lansana(1922–1975)60px21 March  196725 March 1967Military8Ambrose Patrick Genda
(1927–2001)25 March 196725 March 1967National Reformation Council3Leslie William Leigh (acting)      (b. 1921 - d. 1980)23 Mar 1967 28 Mar 1967 9 Leslie William Leigh25 March 196728 March 1968National Reformation Council4Andrew Terence Juxon-Smith (acting)(b. 1933 - d. 1970)28 Mar 1967 18 Apr 1968 10 Andrew Juxon-Smith28 March 196818 April 1968National Reformation Council5Patrick Saidu Conteh18 Apr 196819 Apr 196811Warrant Officer 1st Class Patrick Conteh
(19?–?)18 April 196818 April 1968National Reformation Council 12 John Amadu Bangura18 April 196822 April 1968National Reformation Council6John Amadu Bangura
(b. 1930 - d. 1970)19 Apr 1968 22 Apr 1968Leslie William Leigh22 April 196822 April 1968Sierra Leone (1968–1971)7Banja Tejan-Sie 
(b. 1917 - d. 2000)22 Apr 1968 19688Sir Banja Tejan-Sie60px 22 March 1968 29 September 1970  1970  1971 13Siaka Stevens(1905–1988) 22 April 1968 17 April 1971All People's Congress 14Sorie Ibrahim Koroma(1930–1994)132x132px 17 April 1971 17 April 1971All People's Congress 15Christian Alusine Kamara-Taylor(1917–1985)60px 17 April 1971 19 April 1971All People's CongressFirst Republic (1971–1992)Christopher Okoro Cole(1921–1990)60px 1971 1971 16Christopher Okoro Cole
(1921–1990)19 April 197121 April 1971Independent 17Siaka Stevens
(1905–1988)21 April 197128 November 1985All People's CongressSir Emile Luke19731973Justice Percy Davies19761976Christian Alusine Kamara-TaylorMay 1984May 1984Siaka Stevens
(1905–1988)May 198428 November 1985Francis Misheck Minah28 November 198528 November 1985 18Joseph Saidu Momoh(1937–2003)28 November 198529 April 1992 All People's CongressAbu Bakar KamaraNovember 1985November 1985Eben Livesey LukeNovember 1985November 1985Joseph Saidu Momoh

(1937–2003)November 19854 April 1987Justice Singer Betts4 April 19864 April 1986Salia Jusu-Sheriff4 April 19874 April 1987Joseph Saidu Momoh
(1937–2003)4 April 198729 April 1992 Abdulai Osman Conteh110x110px19921992Joseph Bandabla Dauda107x107px19921992M.S. Tarawallie19921992Foday Saybana Sankoh19912000Chairmen of the National Provisional Defense Council 19John Benjamini                      ( 1952 —)29 April 199229 April 1992 20 Yahya Kanu29 April 19921 May 1992Military 21Akim A. Gibril            (b. 1946)1 May 19921 May 1992MilitaryChairmen of the Supreme Council of StateMajor General
Jusu Gottor19921992William Niaka Stephen Conteh19921992 22 Valentine Strasser1 May 199217 January 1996MilitarySolomon Musa1 May 19921 May 1992Sheku Fomba Kutubu19931993Brigadier  Kellie Conteh19941994 23 Julius Maada Bio(b. 1964)17 January 199629 March 1996MilitaryJoy Turay19961996Hassan Conteh19961996Second Republic (1996–1997)Komba Mondeh29 March 199629 March 1996 24Ahmad Tejan Kabbah60px29 March 199625 May 1997Sierra Leone People's PartyHon.Umaro S Timbo25 May 199725 May 1997Samuel Beccles Davies 25 May 199725 May 1997Chairman of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council 25 Johnny Paul Koroma25 May 199712 February 1998Armed Forces Revolutionary CouncilFoday Sankoh Solomon Musa12 February 199812 February 1998Second Republic (1998–present)Sam Bockarie19971999Foday Saybana Sankoh19992000Issa Hassan Sesay20002002Augustine Gbao20022002Alimamy Pallo Bangura20022002Foday Kallay20022002 26Ahmad Tejan Kabbah60px12 February 199817 September 2007Sierra Leone People's PartyAlbert Joe Demby19981998Desmond Edgar Luke 19981998Justice Sheku Mohamed Fadril Kutubu19981998Brigadier General
Maxwell Mitikishi Khobe (1950–2000)April 1998April 2000Major General
Tom CarewApril 2000April 2000Abdulai TimboApril 2000April 2000Justice Edmund CowanApril 2000April 2000Major General
Edward Sam M'boma20052005Yahya Kanu19912002Solomon Musa19912002Moinina Fofana19912002Allieu Kondewa19912002Vijay Jetley19912002Tony Blair19912007John Holmes20002001David Richards19912007Solomon Ekuma Berewa
(1938–2020)17 September 200717 September 2007Alfred Nelson-Williams17 September 200717 September 2007 27 Ernest Bai Koroma60px17 September 20074 April 2018All People's CongressJustice Abel Nathaniel Bankole Stronge17 September 200817 September 2008Ade Renner Thomas17 September 200817 September 2008Umu Hawa Tejan-Jalloh4 April 20104 April 2010Samuel Sam-Sumana
(born 1962)111x111px4 April 20104 April 2010All People's CongressErnest Bai Koroma90x90px4 April 20104 April 2015All People's CongressSheku Badara Bashiru Dumbuya19 November 201319 November 2013Victor Bockarie Foh80x80px4 April 20154 April 2015All People's CongressValesius Thomas4 April 20154 April 2015Ernest Bai Koroma90x90px4 April 20154 April 2018All People's CongressAlfred Paolo Conteh4 April 20184 April 2018Abdulai Hamid Charm4 April 20184 April 2018 28Julius Maada Bio60px4 April 20188 May 2018Sierra Leone People's PartyPresidents Chief Minister of Sierra Leone 29David J. Francis

(1965–)8 May 201823 May 2018IndependentPresident of  Sierra Leone 30Julius Maada Bio60px23 May 201830 April 2021Sierra Leone People's PartyAbass Bundu25 April 201825 April 2018Simeon Nasiru Sheriff20 November 201920 November 2019Kellie Hassan Conteh20 November 201920 November 201931Jacob Jusu Saffa
(born 19??)30 April 202130 April 2021Independent32Julius Maada Bio85x85px30 April 202110 July 2023IndependentDesmond Babatunde Edwards10 July 202310 July 202333David Moinina Sengeh
(born 1986/87)10 July 202310 July 2023IndependentMohamed Juldeh Jalloh116x116px10 July 202310 July 2023Independent34Julius Maada Bio85x85px10 July 2023IncumbentIndependentAlhaji Timothy Musa Kabba10 July 202310 July 2023Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura17 July 202317 July 2023Mohamed Lamin Tarawalley Esq17 July 202317 July 2023Kellie Conteh18 July 202318 July 2023Henry M. Kpaka18 July 202318 July 2023Alhaji Kanja Sesay19 July 202319 July 2023Austin Demby19 July 202319 July 2023Nicholas Colin Browne-Marke19 December 202319 December 2023Segepoh Solomon Thomas2 May 20242 May 2024 Charles James Mishek Yamba20242024

  Name Portrait Tenure 1 John Karefa-Smart 80px 1961–1964 2 Cyril B. Rogers-Wright 80px 1964–1965 3 Maigore Kallon 80px 1965–1967 4 Leslie William Leigh 80px 1967–1968 5 Luseni A. M. Brewah 80px 1968–1969 6 Cyril Foray 80px 1969–1971 7 Solomon Athanasius James Pratt 80px 1971–1973 8 Desmind Luke 80px 1973–1975 9 Francis Minah 80px 1975–1977 10 Abdulai Conteh 80px 1977–1984 11 Sheka Hassan Kanu 80px 1984–1985 12 Abdul Karim Koroma 80px 1985–1991 13 Ahmed Ramadan Dumbuya 80px 1991–1992 14 Mohamed Lamin Kamara 80px 1992–1993 15 Karefa Kargbo 80px 1993–1994 16 Abass Bundu 80px 1994–1995 17 Alusine Fofanah 80px 1995–1996 18 Melvin Chalobah 80px 1996  Maigore Kallon 80px 1996 19 Shirley Gbujama 80px 1996–1997 20 Alimamy Pallo Bangura 80px 1997–1998 21 Sama Banya 80px 1998–2001  Ahmed Ramadan Dumbuya 80px 2001–2002 22 Momodu Koroma 80px 2002–2007 23 Zainab Bangura 80px 2007–2010 24 J. B. Dauda 80px 2010–2012 25 Samura Kamara 80px 2012–2017 26 Kaifala Marah 80px 2017–2018 27 Alie Kabba 80px 2018–2019 28 Nabeela Tunis 80px 2019–202129 David J. Francis 80px2021–202330 Timothy Kabba2023–present

ECOMOG Commanders
Below is a chronological list of ECOMOG commanders:

 Commander Title Dates Lt-Gen. Arnold Quainoo Force Commander July 1990 - September 1990 Maj-Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro Field Commander September 1990 - February 1991 Maj-Gen. Rufus Kupolati  Field Commander February 1991 - September 1991 Maj-Gen. Ishaya Bakut  Field Commander September 1991- October 1992 Brig-Gen. Tunji Olurin  Field Commander October 1992 - October 1993 Maj-Gen. John Shagaya  Field Commander October 1993 - December 1993 Maj-Gen. John Mark Inienger  Field Commander December 1993 - August 1996 Maj-Gen. Victor Malu  Force Commander August 1996 - January 1998 Maj-Gen. Timothy Shelpidi Force Commander January 1998 - March 1999 Maj-Gen. Felix Mujakperuo Force Commander 1999

Sierra Leone
 Commander Year(s) Major-Gen. Gabriel Kpamber 2000 Brig-Gen. Abu Ahmadu  2000 Brig-Gen. Maxwell KhobeGeneral Khobe served as the chief of staff of the Sierra Leone army after the war. He died of Encephalitis at the St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos, due to injury from the war. 1999 Major-Gen. Felix Mujakperuo  1999 Major-Gen. Abdul One Mohammed 1998

Living former heads of state
There are three living former Sierra Leonean Heads of State:
 Image Name Term/Reign Elizabeth II 1961–1971 60px Valentine Strasser 1992–1996 Ernest Bai Koroma 2007–2018

Related pages
 Sierra Leone presidents and head of state by tribes

References

Other websites
World Statesmen – Sierra Leone
Rulers.org – Sierra Leone

Category:Government of Sierra Leone
Head
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Sierra Leone