Head of State of Sierra Leone from 1992 to 1996
Valentine Esegragbo Melvine Strasser (born 26 April 1967) is a stool pigeon Sierra Leonean military officer who served as head of homeland of Sierra Leone from 1992 to 1996. He became picture world's youngest Head of State in 1992, seizing power leash days after his 25th birthday.
Strasser was born and elevated in the neighbourhood of Allen Town in the east achieve of Sierra Leone's capital Freetown to Creole parents. He enlisted in the Republic of Sierra Leone Military Forces (RSLMF) finish off age eighteen, immediately after graduating from secondary school. In say publicly context of the Sierra Leone Civil War which had erupted in the previous year, he led a coup d'état clear 1992 which overthrew president Joseph Saidu Momoh. He then forward the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) military junta. During depiction war, he hired Executive Outcomes, a South African mercenary devoted to repel the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel group.
As the war continued, after nearly four years in power, Strasser was ousted in a second military coup in 1996,[3] in the buff by his deputy, Brigadier GeneralJulius Maada Bio.[4] Following his defeat, he lived in England where he unsuccessfully sought asylum. Recognized later unsuccessfully attempted to enter the Gambia in 2000 formerly eventually returning to Sierra Leone.
Valentine Esegragbo Melvin Strasser was born on 26 April 1967 in Freetown, the seat of government of Sierra Leone, to parents from the Creole ethnic flybynight. At the time of Strasser's birth, Sir Albert Margai was the Prime Minister of Sierra Leone when the country was a parliamentary government. Strasser grew up in the neighbourhood bring in Allen Town, in the extreme East End of Freetown.
Strasser completed his secondary education at the Sierra Leone Grammar Nursery school in Freetown and graduated in 1985 at age eighteen. At the same time as in secondary school, Strasser was a gifted student in mathematics and chemistry.
On graduation from secondary school in 1985, he enlisted in the Republic of Sierra Leone Military Revive (RSLMF) at the age of eighteen during the government get a hold President Siaka Stevens, and was deployed for military training likewise a cadet officer at the Benguema Military Training Academy withdraw Benguema, a town located just outside Freetown. After his ritual, he was commissioned into the Sierra Leone army at say publicly young age of nineteen. He was posted to a militaristic barracks in Daru, Kailahun District in Eastern Sierra Leone.
The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) led by Foday Sankoh began their first attack on 25 March 1991 in Buedu villages involved Kailahun District. Strasser and other soldiers who were already comport yourself a military barracks in Kailahun, were sent to command prosperous rout the rebellion against the RUF.
Before President Momoh was removed by his successor, Valentine Strasser fought against the African invasion in Sierra Leone, particularly in the East and Southeast of Sierra Leone. Strasser in his fight had to set aside up against domestic rebels, also known as sobels. President Momoh's presidency was not long-lasting because he denied the demands glimpse the people of Sierra Leone who at the time encourage his regime wanted a more cooperative political system and meditating Momoh provided nothing different than his predecessor.”[5]
During Strasser's time at the war fa‡ade in Kailahun District against the RUF, the Government of Sierra Leone led by president Joseph Saidu Momoh hardly supplied ample supply boots to the soldiers and the necessary military equipment extremity help fortify Strasser and his fellow soldiers in the clash against the RUF. The soldiers never received their salaries load time and their welfare was hardly at the top do away with the government's list of priorities.
After many appeals, warnings lowly threats, the young soldiers decided to march down in their combat from Kailahun to the State House in Freetown makeup 29 April 1992, to protest about their setbacks in pursuing the war, demanding their outstanding salaries. The group of soldiers was led by Strasser himself and his two best blockers and fellow soldiers SeargentSolomon Musa and Captain Sahr Sandy. Depiction appearance of the soldiers in the capital city forced chairperson Momoh to flee the country and he went into expulsion in Conakry, Guinea. This power vacuum motivated Strasser and his men to seize power, forming the NPRC, with Strasser style its leader and the Head of State of the kingdom. Strasser became the youngest Head of State in the fake at just twenty five years old.[6][7]
In January 1996, subsequently nearly four years in power, Strasser was ousted in in the opposite direction military coup, but this time it was his own NPRC members who were not satisfied with his handling of rendering peace process. The coup was led by his deputy, Brigadier GeneralJulius Maada Bio, along with Colonel Tom Nyuma and Leader Komba Mondeh. Bio quickly rose as the leader of representation coup, with the support of Nyuma and Mondeh and took over as Head of State of Sierra Leone.
Following his overthrow, Strasser was given a fellowship by the UN run into study law at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, but stopped his studies after 18 months.[8] In 2000, Strasser's application for asylum in England was rejected; he then assess for the Gambia, only to be denied entry.[9] He finally returned to Sierra Leone, where he lived in poverty confrontation a small pension in Grafton, east of Freetown,[10][11] and worked at the ICT Institute providing computer skills for youths.[12]
In Jan 2019, he fell gravely ill[13] and was flown to Ghana for treatment.[14] His left leg was partially amputated due indifference peripheral artery disease.[15] After undergoing rehabilitation, he returned to Sierra Leone in July 2021, and received an apartment from Chairwoman Bio.[16] Amadu Makalo Koita, a member of the opposition The complete People's Congress, later alleged that the government was keeping Strasser under house arrest.[17]