Editing History of Sierra Leone (section)

==Early independence (1961–1968)==
{{Main|History of Sierra Leone (1961–78)}}

===Sir Milton Margai administration (1961–1964)===
On 27 April 1961, [[Sir Milton Margai]] led Sierra Leone to Independence from Britain and became the country's first [[prime minister]]. Sierra Leone retained a parliamentary system of government and was a member of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]]. In May 1962, Sierra Leone held its [[Sierra Leonean general election, 1962|first general election]] as an independent nation. The Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) won [[Plurality (voting)|plurality]] of seats in parliament and Sir Milton Margai was re-elected as prime minister.<ref>{{Cite book | last = Pham | first = John-Peter | title = Child soldiers, adult interests: the global dimensions of the Sierra Leonean tragedy | publisher = Nova Publishers | year = 2005 | pages = 32–33 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ZnPFKpwoIkIC&q=sierra+leone+independence+1961&pg=PA32 | isbn = 978-1-59454-671-6}}</ref><ref name="McKenna 2011 202–203">{{Cite book | last =McKenna| first = Amy | title =The History of Western Africa | publisher = he Rosen Publishing Group | year = 2011| pages = 202–203| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=uuRvYdibcGYC&q=history+of+sierra+leone+civil+war&pg=PA206 | isbn =978-1-61530-399-1}}</ref> The years just after independence were prosperous, with money from [[mineral resources]] being used for development and the founding of [[Njala University]].<ref name="McKenna 2011 202–203"/>

Margai was very popular among Sierra Leoneans during his time in power. An important aspect of his character was his self-effacement; he was neither corrupt nor did he make a lavish display of his power or status. His government was based on the [[rule of law]] and the notion of separation of powers, with multiparty political institutions and fairly viable representative structures. Margai used his conservative ideology to lead Sierra Leone without much strife. He appointed government officials with a clear eye to satisfy various ethnic groups. Margai employed a brokerage style of politics by sharing political power between political groups and the [[paramount chiefs]] in the provinces.

===Sir Albert Margai administration (1964–1967)===
Upon Sir Milton Margai's death in 1964, his half-brother, [[Albert Margai|Sir Albert Margai]], was appointed as prime minister by parliament. Sir Albert's leadership was briefly challenged by Sierra Leone's Foreign Minister [[John Karefa-Smart]], who questioned Sir Albert's succession to the SLPP leadership position. Kareefa-Smart received little support in Parliament in his attempt to have Margai stripped of the SLPP leadership. Soon after Margai was sworn in as prime minister, he immediately dismissed several senior government officials who had served under his elder brother's government, as he viewed them as traitors and a threat to his administration.

Unlike his late brother, Sir Milton, Sir Albert Margai proved unpopular and resorted to increasingly [[authoritarian]] actions in response to protests, including the enactment of several laws against the opposition [[All People's Congress]] (APC) and an unsuccessful attempt to establish a [[one-party state]]. Unlike his late brother, Sir Albert was opposed to the colonial legacy of allowing the country's paramount chiefs executive powers, and he was seen as a threat to the existence of the ruling houses across the country—almost all of whom were strong supporters and key allies of the previous administration. In 1967, riots broke out in Freetown against Sir Albert's policies. In response, Margai declared a [[state of emergency]] across the country. He was accused of corruption and of a policy of [[affirmative action]] in favour of his own [[Mende people|Mende]] ethnic group<ref>{{Cite book | last = Pham | first = John-Peter | title = Child soldiers, adult interests: the global dimensions of the Sierra Leonean tragedy | publisher = Nova Publishers | year = 2005 | pages = 33–35 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ZnPFKpwoIkIC&q=sierra+leone+independence+1961&pg=PA32 | isbn = 978-1-59454-671-6}}</ref>

Sir Albert had the opportunity to perpetuate himself in power, but he elected not to do so even when the opportunities presented themselves. He had the police and the army on his side and nothing could have prevented him from achieving his ambition to hold on to power, but he chose not to and called for free and fair elections.

===Three military coups (1967–1968)===
The APC narrowly won a small majority of seats in Parliament over the SLPP in a closely contested [[Sierra Leonean general election, 1967|1967 Sierra Leone general election]], and APC leader [[Siaka Stevens]] was sworn in as prime minister on 21 March 1967 in Freetown. Within hours of taking office, Stevens was ousted in a bloodless [[1967 Sierra Leonean coups d'état|military coup]] led by the commander of the [[Republic of Sierra Leone Military Forces|army]], Brigadier General [[David Lansana]], a close ally of Sir Albert Margai who had appointed Lansana to the position in 1964. Lansana placed Stevens under [[house arrest]] in Freetown and insisted the determination of office of the prime minister should await the election of the tribal representatives to the house. On 23 March, a group of senior military officers in the Sierra Leone Army led by [[Brigadier]] [[Andrew Juxon-Smith]] overrode this action by seizing control of the government, arresting Lansana, and suspending the constitution. The group constituted itself as the [[National Reformation Council]] (NRC) with Juxon-Smith as its chairman and Governor-General.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History of Sierra Leone|url=http://www.worldrover.com/history/sierra_leone_history.html|access-date=26 August 2021|website=www.worldrover.com}}</ref> On 18 April 1968, a group of senior military officers who called themselves the Anti-Corruption Revolutionary Movement (ACRM) led by Brigadier General [[John Amadu Bangura]] overthrew the NRC [[Military junta|junta]]. The ACRM juntas arrested many senior NRC members. The democratic constitution was restored, and power was handed back to Stevens, who assumed the office of prime minister.<ref>{{Cite book | last = Gberie| first =Lansana | title = A dirty war in West Africa: the RUF and the destruction of Sierra Leone | publisher =C. Hurst & Co. Publishers | year =2005 | pages = 26–27 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=OeBYQAFPXxsC&q=sierra+leone+independence+1961&pg=PA34 | isbn =978-1-85065-742-2}}</ref>