WIshmael Beah is a Sierra Leonean author and human rights activist who rose to fame with his acclaimed memoir, A Long Way Gone. His novel Radiance of Tomorrow was published in January 2014. His most recent novel Little Family was published in April 2020.
WJulius Maada Bio is a Sierra Leonean politician, and the 5th and current president of Sierra Leone since April 4, 2018. He is a retired Brigadier General in the Sierra Leone Army and was the military Head of State of Sierra Leone from January 16, 1996, to March 29, 1996 in a military Junta government. As the candidate of the main opposition Sierra Leone People's Party, Bio defeated Samura Kamara of the ruling All People's Congress in the runoff vote of the 2018 Sierra Leone presidential election with 51.8% of the votes to Kamara"s 48.2%. International and local observers declared the election free, fair and credible. Bio succeeded Ernest Bai Koroma as president. As the main opposition leader, Bio was a critic of his predecessor president Ernest Bai Koroma and his administration. As president, Bio has overturned most of the policies of Ernest Bai Koroma, whom he accuses of corruption.
WMajor Johnny Paul Koroma was the head of state of Sierra Leone from May 1997 to February 1998. His alleged death has not been proven, nobody has found his body, hence he cannot be deemed to be dead. He was involved in criminal activities such as heavy drug trafficking. It must be pointed out he has since changed his name.
WBrigadier David Lansana was the first indigenous Force Commander of the Sierra Leone Military during the colonial era. After Sierra Leone became independent, he served as Military Attaché to the United States.
WMajor General Joseph Saidu Momoh, OOR, OBE served as President of Sierra Leone from November 1985 to April 29, 1992.
WSolomon Anthony James Musa, also known as SAJ Musa, was an important military and political figure in the Sierra Leone Civil War.
WMajor General Alfred Claude Nelson-Williams, GCOR is a retired Major General in the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF). Nelson-Williams serves as the Sierra Leone Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria Nelson-Williams previous served as Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) for Sierra Leone from 2008 to 2010.
WSamuel Hinga Norman was a Sierra Leonean politician from the Mende tribe. He was the founder and leader of the Civil Defence Forces, commonly known as the Kamajors. The Kamajors supported the government of Ahmed Tejan Kabbah against the Revolutionary United Front(RUF), which was led by Foday Sankoh. On 7 March 2003 Hinga Norman was indicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He died on 22 February 2007 in Dakar, Senegal while undergoing medical treatment.
WFoday Saybana Sankoh was the founder of the Sierra Leone rebel group Revolutionary United Front (RUF), which was supported by Charles Taylor-led NPFL in the 11-year-long Sierra Leone Civil War, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. An estimated 50,000 people were killed during the war, and over 500,000 people were displaced in neighboring countries.
WValentine Esegragbo Melvine Strasser is an ex-military leader who served as head of state of Sierra Leone from 1992 to 1996. He had been a junior military officer but in 1992, he became the world's youngest Head of State when he seized power three days after his 25th birthday. He was the leading member in a group of six young Sierra Leonean soldiers who overthrew president Joseph Saidu Momoh on 29 April 1992 military coup. They established a military junta called the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC).