Military rule in Sierra Leone: NRC, NPRC and AFRC: WASSCE Government

Three times between 1967 and 1997, soldiers seized power in Sierra Leone and ruled by decree. The National Reformation Council (NRC), the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) and the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) each promised to clean up politics. Their records were very different. This lesson explains why the military intervened, how military regimes govern, and what each regime did.

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

explain the causes of military intervention in Sierra Leone
state the features of military rule
describe the NRC, NPRC and AFRC regimes
evaluate the merits and demerits of military rule

Coups and juntas in Sierra Leone

A timeline: 1967 Lansana coup and the National Reformation Council; 1968 Sergeants' revolt; 1992 NPRC coup under Valentine Strasser; 1996 palace coup by Julius Maada Bio and handover to Kabbah; 1997 AFRC coup under Johnny Paul Koroma; 1998 ECOMOG restores Kabbah; no successful coup since 1998

Figure 1. Coups and juntas. WASSCE Tutor diagram.

Causes of military intervention

Cause	Sierra Leone example
Disputed elections	The 1967 election, when the army stopped Siaka Stevens taking office
Corruption and mismanagement	The NPRC (1992) blamed the APC's corruption and economic collapse
Economic hardship	Unpaid salaries, shortages and inflation in the late 1980s and early 1990s
Poor conditions of soldiers	Soldiers fighting the RUF in 1992 lacked pay, food and equipment
Politicisation of the army	Recruitment and promotion based on ethnic or party loyalty
Ethnic and regional rivalry	Divisions within both the army and politics
Personal ambition of officers	Desire for power and wealth
Insecurity and war	The civil war gave soldiers political weight
Contagion	Successful coups in other West African states

Features of military rule

Suspension of the constitution, wholly or in part.
Dissolution of Parliament and elected councils.
Rule by decree, issued by a supreme military council.
Ban on political parties and political activity.
Fusion of executive and legislative powers in the ruling council.
Restriction of fundamental rights: detention without trial, curfews, press censorship.
Special military tribunals.
Promises of a return to civilian rule after a transition period.

The three military regimes

Regime	Period	Leader	Key facts
National Reformation Council (NRC)	March 1967 – April 1968	Lt-Col Andrew Juxon-Smith	Formed after Brigadier Lansana's intervention following the disputed 1967 election; promised to clean up public life; overthrown by the Sergeants' revolt (Anti-Corruption Revolutionary Movement), which restored civilian rule under Siaka Stevens
National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC)	April 1992 – March 1996	Captain Valentine Strasser; from January 1996 Brigadier Julius Maada Bio	Young officers from the war front overthrew President Momoh on 29 April 1992; struggled to end the war; held consultative Bintumani conferences in 1995–1996; Bio handed power to the elected President Kabbah in 1996
Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC)	May 1997 – February 1998	Major Johnny Paul Koroma	Overthrew the elected Kabbah government on 25 May 1997; invited the RUF rebels into government; widespread abuses; isolated by ECOWAS and the UN; removed by ECOMOG in February 1998

Merits and demerits of military rule

Claimed merits	Demerits
Can end a political crisis quickly	Unconstitutional and illegitimate
May reduce some corruption at first	Abuse of human rights and dictatorship
Quick decisions without political debate	No accountability to the people
Some regimes hand over power, as in 1968 and 1996	Soldiers lack experience in governing
	Corruption often returns or grows
	Damages the discipline and professionalism of the army
	Coups breed counter-coups
	Economic sanctions and international isolation, as under the AFRC

In Sierra Leone

When Valentine Strasser seized power in 1992, he was only about 25 years old, among the youngest heads of state in the world. The NPRC was popular at first with young people tired of APC rule. But the war worsened, and in 1996 his deputy, Julius Maada Bio, removed him in a palace coup and allowed elections to go ahead. Bio handed over to President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in March 1996. Twenty-two years later, Bio was himself elected President.

Common mistake

The AFRC and the NPRC are different regimes. The NPRC (1992–1996) overthrew the APC government of Momoh and later handed over to an elected government. The AFRC (1997–1998) overthrew the elected Kabbah government and ruled together with the RUF rebels.

Key points

Causes: disputed elections, corruption, economic hardship, poor army conditions, politicisation, ambition, war.
Features: suspended constitution, dissolved Parliament, rule by decree, banned parties, restricted rights.
NRC (1967–68): Juxon-Smith; ended by the Sergeants' revolt.
NPRC (1992–96): Strasser, then Bio; handed over to Kabbah.
AFRC (1997–98): Johnny Paul Koroma with the RUF; removed by ECOMOG.

WASSCE examination focus

WAEC tests this

Expect to explain the causes of military intervention in Sierra Leone, to state the features of military rule, and to describe the regimes of the NRC, NPRC and AFRC. Essay questions often ask for the merits and demerits of military rule.

Quick check

Who led the National Reformation Council?
On what date did the NPRC overthrow President Momoh?
Which military regime invited the RUF into government?
State three features of military rule.

Answers:

Lt-Col Andrew Juxon-Smith.
29 April 1992.
The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), under Johnny Paul Koroma.
Any three: suspension of the constitution; dissolution of Parliament; rule by decree; ban on political parties; fusion of executive and legislative powers; restriction of rights; military tribunals; promises of return to civilian rule.

Military rule in Sierra Leone: NRC, NPRC and AFRC