Johnny Paul Koroma
Encyclopedia
Johnny Paul Koroma was the Head of State
of Sierra Leone
from May 1997 to February 1998.
, the capital of Sierra Leone. However, he was born in Tombodu
, Kono District
, in eastern Sierra Leone to Limba
parents. He is from the same ethnic group as former Presidents Siaka Stevens
and Joseph Saidu Momoh
. He joined the Sierra Leonean army in 1985, and went to Sandhurst Military Academy in England
to train as an officer
in 1988. He returned to Sierra Leone the next year and was promoted to Section Commander, and soon thereafter to Company
Commander. He continued to move up the ladder, and in 1994 he went to the Teshi Military College in Ghana
to train in the subjects of Army Command and General Staff
.
and Britain. He commanded government forces who were fighting against the Revolutionary United Front
of Foday Sankoh
. He was arrested in August 1996 due to his involvement in a coup plot against the southern civilian officials who were in control of the country. President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
was to have been killed. Koroma was freed from prison during a successful military coup on May 25, 1997, when soldiers loyal to him brought him to power. He advocated making a peaceful settlement with Sankoh and allowing him to join the government, though this never happened.
After the coup in 1997, Koroma was named Head of State and Chairman of the AFRC. Koroma invited the leadership of the Revolutionary United Front
(RUF) to join the AFRC, which they promptly did. In order to maintain order, Koroma suspended the constitution, banned demonstrations
and abolished all political parties.
, the erosion of state sovereignty, over-dependence on foreign nations, and the failure of the Government of Sierra Leone to adequately address tensions between the SLA and government supported tribally-based militia
movements, in particular the Kamajors
. Koroma's story is very much that of the AFRC, and indeed the failings of the Abidjan Peace Accord
struck between the Government of Sierra Leone and the RUF on 30 November 1996.
n forces, which were deployed unilaterally at this stage under the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) Ceasefire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) and its mandate of August 1997). The Nigerians were stationed in and around Freetown's Western Area, trading mortar
fire along the main highway into Freetown and around the Freetown International Airport. Koroma immediately sought to ease the situation, seeking mediation
, which resulted in the signing of a peace accord in late October 1997 in Conakry
, Republic of Guinea. Almost immediately, violations of the peace accord were perpetrated by all sides to the complex conflict in Sierra Leone. By January 1998, ECOMOG forces were preparing to oust the RUF/AFRC from power. On 6 February 1998, ECOMOG forces invaded key locations in the Western Area, removing the RUF/AFRC entirely by 12 February 1998. On 1 March 1998, ECOMOG forces commenced operations in provincial Sierra Leone, removing the RUF/AFRC from every key town except Kailahun
(in the far east of the country). By December 1998, RUF/AFRC forces had reversed this position, invading Freetown in January 1999. Failing to hold territory, the RUF/AFRC retreated into the Northern Province of Sierra Leone.
on 7 July 1999. Koroma was cut out of both negotiations and the AFRC did not benefit from the substantive provisions of the agreement. Nevertheless, Koroma participated in the disarmament
process, encouraging those SLA soldiers that had joined the AFRC to demobilize. By 2000, Koroma no longer held significant influence over the RUF leadership, as evidenced by the involvement of ex-AFRC members (from a splinter group called the West Side Boys
) in defending towns in Port Loko
District against a renewed RUF offensive in May 2000. In August 2000, Koroma officially disbanded the AFRC and sought to consolidate his political position through the formation of a political party.
signed a bilateral treaty establishing the Special Court for Sierra Leone
, mandated to try those who "bear the greatest responsibility" for crimes against humanity, war crime
s and other serious violations of international humanitarian law
. According to the indictment, the RUF and AFRC, under the orders of Koroma, led armed attacks in Sierra Leone wherein the primary targets included civilians, humanitarian aid workers
, and UN peacekeeping forces
. These attacks served the purpose of terrorizing the population as a form of punishment for not supporting rebel activities. These attacks included such crimes as looting
, murder
, physical violence (notably mutilation
s), employing child soldiers, sexual violence
and rape
, as well as kidnapping women and girls to be raped or turned into sex slaves. Men and boys were also abducted and forced to work or fight for the rebel groups.
On 7 March 2003, the Prosecutor
of the Special Court issued his first indictment
s. For his role in the RUF/AFRC, Koroma was among them. Koroma fled Freetown in December, reportedly to Liberia
. On 1 June 2003 he was officially declared dead under mysterious circumstances, claimed to be murdered. The Prosecutor has yet to withdraw the indictment against Koroma. An October 2006 newspaper headline in Freetown stated "Johnny Paul has 1,000 armed soldiers".
According to a report in September 2008, Koroma's remains were found buried in Foya, a village in Liberia's Lofa County
; this was unconfirmed, however. Stephen Rapp, the Special Court for Sierra Leone's current Prosecutor, noted in a recent interview that DNA tests on the remains found in Lofa County did not match Johnny Paul Koroma's DNA. As of 2010, many still believe Koroma was executed somewhere in Lofa at the hands of former Liberia President Charles Taylor. Three witnesses- Taylor’s former Vice President Moses Blah, former member of Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebel group Joseph Zig Zag Marzah, and a protected witness- each testified that while they did not witness Koroma's execution, Taylor did tell them about it. In October of 2010, Taylor's defense team filed a notion to have these testimonies removed as evidence, alleging that the prosecution bribed these three witnesses, but this notion was rejected the following month.
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
from May 1997 to February 1998.
Youth and Education
Koroma grew up in FreetownFreetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
, the capital of Sierra Leone. However, he was born in Tombodu
Tombodu
Tombodu is a relatively small provencial town - the third largest town in Kono District in the Eastern Province, Sierra Leone. The town had a population of less than 3000 in the 2004 census . Tombodu was RUF stronghold during the Sierra Leone civil war. The majority of the residents in the town are...
, Kono District
Kono District
Kono District is a district in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. Its capital and largest city is Koidu Town. The other major towns in the district include Yengema, Tombodu, Motema, Jaiama-Nimokoro and Sewafe. Kono District is the largest diamond producer in Sierra Leone.The population of Kono...
, in eastern Sierra Leone to Limba
Limba people (Sierra Leone)
The Limba people is a major ethnic group in the Republic of Sierra Leone. They form the third largest ethnic group in the country, about 8.5% of Sierra Leone's total population ....
parents. He is from the same ethnic group as former Presidents Siaka Stevens
Siaka Stevens
Siaka Probyn Stevens was the 3rd prime minister of Sierra Leone from 1967–1971 and the 1st president of Sierra Leone from 1971–1985. Stevens is generally criticised for dictatorial methods of government in which many of his political opponents were executed, as well as for mismanaging...
and Joseph Saidu Momoh
Joseph Saidu Momoh
Major General Joseph Saidu Momoh was the President of Sierra Leone from November, 1985 to April 29, 1992.- Biography :...
. He joined the Sierra Leonean army in 1985, and went to Sandhurst Military Academy in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to train as an officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in 1988. He returned to Sierra Leone the next year and was promoted to Section Commander, and soon thereafter to Company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
Commander. He continued to move up the ladder, and in 1994 he went to the Teshi Military College in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
to train in the subjects of Army Command and General Staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
.
Coups and civil war
Koroma received military training in NigeriaNigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and Britain. He commanded government forces who were fighting against the Revolutionary United Front
Revolutionary United Front
The Revolutionary United Front was a rebel army that fought a failed eleven-year war in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. It later developed into a political party, which existed until 2007...
of Foday Sankoh
Foday Sankoh
Foday Saybana Sankoh was the leader and founder of the Sierra Leone rebel group Revolutionary United Front in the 11-year-long Sierra Leone Civil War, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002...
. He was arrested in August 1996 due to his involvement in a coup plot against the southern civilian officials who were in control of the country. President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah served as President of Sierra Leone from 1996 to 1997 and again from 1998 to 2007.He worked for the United Nations Development Programme and returned to Sierra Leone in 1992...
was to have been killed. Koroma was freed from prison during a successful military coup on May 25, 1997, when soldiers loyal to him brought him to power. He advocated making a peaceful settlement with Sankoh and allowing him to join the government, though this never happened.
After the coup in 1997, Koroma was named Head of State and Chairman of the AFRC. Koroma invited the leadership of the Revolutionary United Front
Revolutionary United Front
The Revolutionary United Front was a rebel army that fought a failed eleven-year war in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. It later developed into a political party, which existed until 2007...
(RUF) to join the AFRC, which they promptly did. In order to maintain order, Koroma suspended the constitution, banned demonstrations
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
and abolished all political parties.
Armed Forces Revolutionary Council
The AFRC coup was accompanied by an explosion of violence against civilians throughout the nation; the key strategic change was that the RUF had immediate access throughout the country, something they had failed to achieve through six years of military action. To justify the AFRC coup, Koroma cited corruptionPolitical corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
, the erosion of state sovereignty, over-dependence on foreign nations, and the failure of the Government of Sierra Leone to adequately address tensions between the SLA and government supported tribally-based militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
movements, in particular the Kamajors
Kamajors
The Kamajors are a group of traditional hunters from the Mende ethnic group in the south and east of Sierra Leone...
. Koroma's story is very much that of the AFRC, and indeed the failings of the Abidjan Peace Accord
Abidjan Peace Accord
The Abidjan Peace Accord was a treaty signed between the Sierra Leone People's Party government of Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, and the Revolutionary United Front rebel group led by Foday Sankoh to find a resolution to the Sierra Leone Civil War...
struck between the Government of Sierra Leone and the RUF on 30 November 1996.
Involvement of ECOMOG
By 2 June 1997, the RUF/AFRC found itself at odds with NigeriaNigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n forces, which were deployed unilaterally at this stage under the Economic Community of West African States
Economic Community of West African States
The Economic Community of West African States is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region....
(ECOWAS) Ceasefire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) and its mandate of August 1997). The Nigerians were stationed in and around Freetown's Western Area, trading mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
fire along the main highway into Freetown and around the Freetown International Airport. Koroma immediately sought to ease the situation, seeking mediation
Mediation
Mediation, as used in law, is a form of alternative dispute resolution , a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties. A third party, the mediator, assists the parties to negotiate their own settlement...
, which resulted in the signing of a peace accord in late October 1997 in Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...
, Republic of Guinea. Almost immediately, violations of the peace accord were perpetrated by all sides to the complex conflict in Sierra Leone. By January 1998, ECOMOG forces were preparing to oust the RUF/AFRC from power. On 6 February 1998, ECOMOG forces invaded key locations in the Western Area, removing the RUF/AFRC entirely by 12 February 1998. On 1 March 1998, ECOMOG forces commenced operations in provincial Sierra Leone, removing the RUF/AFRC from every key town except Kailahun
Kailahun
Kailahun is the capital of Kailahun District in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. The town lies 300 miles east of Freetown and with a population of 25,210. The population of Kailahun is largely from the Mende ethnic group and the Mende language along with the Krio language are widely spoken...
(in the far east of the country). By December 1998, RUF/AFRC forces had reversed this position, invading Freetown in January 1999. Failing to hold territory, the RUF/AFRC retreated into the Northern Province of Sierra Leone.
Lomé Peace Agreement
The leadership of the RUF led peace negotiations with the Government of Sierra Leone led to the signing of the Lomé Peace AccordLomé Peace Accord
The Lomé Peace Accord was a peace agreement signed on 7 July 1999 between the warring parties in the civil war that gripped Sierra Leone for almost a decade. President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah signed with the Revolutionary United Front leader, Foday Sankoh, granting Sankoh a position in the...
on 7 July 1999. Koroma was cut out of both negotiations and the AFRC did not benefit from the substantive provisions of the agreement. Nevertheless, Koroma participated in the disarmament
Disarmament
Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms...
process, encouraging those SLA soldiers that had joined the AFRC to demobilize. By 2000, Koroma no longer held significant influence over the RUF leadership, as evidenced by the involvement of ex-AFRC members (from a splinter group called the West Side Boys
West Side Boys
The West Side Boys aka West Side Niggaz or West Side Junglers, were an armed group in Sierra Leone, sometimes described as a splinter faction of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council....
) in defending towns in Port Loko
Port Loko
Port Loko is the capital and second largest city of Port Loko District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The city lies about , as the crow flies, north-east of the nation's capital Freetown and had a population of 21,961 in the 2004 census Port Loko lies on Banka Soka River, which flows...
District against a renewed RUF offensive in May 2000. In August 2000, Koroma officially disbanded the AFRC and sought to consolidate his political position through the formation of a political party.
Special Court for Sierra Leone
In early 2002, the Government of Sierra Leone and the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
signed a bilateral treaty establishing the Special Court for Sierra Leone
Special Court for Sierra Leone
The Special Court for Sierra Leone is an independent judicial body set up to "try those who bear greatest responsibility" for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996 during the Sierra Leone Civil War...
, mandated to try those who "bear the greatest responsibility" for crimes against humanity, war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s and other serious violations of international humanitarian law
International humanitarian law
International humanitarian law , often referred to as the laws of war, the laws and customs of war or the law of armed conflict, is the legal corpus that comprises "the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Conventions, as well as subsequent treaties, case law, and customary international law." It...
. According to the indictment, the RUF and AFRC, under the orders of Koroma, led armed attacks in Sierra Leone wherein the primary targets included civilians, humanitarian aid workers
Attacks on humanitarian workers
Humanitarian aid workers belonging to United Nations organisations, PVOs / NGOs or the Red Cross / Red Crescent have traditionally enjoyed both international legal protection, and de facto immunity from attack by belligerent parties. However, attacks on humanitarian workers have occasionally...
, and UN peacekeeping forces
Timeline of UN peacekeeping missions
The United Nations has authorized 63 peacekeeping missions as of February 2009. These do not include interventions authorized by the UN like the Korean War and the Gulf War...
. These attacks served the purpose of terrorizing the population as a form of punishment for not supporting rebel activities. These attacks included such crimes as looting
Looting
Looting —also referred to as sacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging—is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
, murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, physical violence (notably mutilation
Mutilation
Mutilation or maiming is an act of physical injury that degrades the appearance or function of any living body, usually without causing death.- Usage :...
s), employing child soldiers, sexual violence
Sexual violence
Sexual violence occurs throughout the world, although in most countries there has been little research conducted on the problem. Due to the private nature of sexual violence, estimating the extent of the problem is difficult...
and rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, as well as kidnapping women and girls to be raped or turned into sex slaves. Men and boys were also abducted and forced to work or fight for the rebel groups.
On 7 March 2003, the Prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
of the Special Court issued his first indictment
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
s. For his role in the RUF/AFRC, Koroma was among them. Koroma fled Freetown in December, reportedly to Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
. On 1 June 2003 he was officially declared dead under mysterious circumstances, claimed to be murdered. The Prosecutor has yet to withdraw the indictment against Koroma. An October 2006 newspaper headline in Freetown stated "Johnny Paul has 1,000 armed soldiers".
According to a report in September 2008, Koroma's remains were found buried in Foya, a village in Liberia's Lofa County
Lofa County
Lofa is a county in the northernmost portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has six districts. Voinjama serves as the capital with the area of the county measuring...
; this was unconfirmed, however. Stephen Rapp, the Special Court for Sierra Leone's current Prosecutor, noted in a recent interview that DNA tests on the remains found in Lofa County did not match Johnny Paul Koroma's DNA. As of 2010, many still believe Koroma was executed somewhere in Lofa at the hands of former Liberia President Charles Taylor. Three witnesses- Taylor’s former Vice President Moses Blah, former member of Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebel group Joseph Zig Zag Marzah, and a protected witness- each testified that while they did not witness Koroma's execution, Taylor did tell them about it. In October of 2010, Taylor's defense team filed a notion to have these testimonies removed as evidence, alleging that the prosecution bribed these three witnesses, but this notion was rejected the following month.