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Sierra Leone |
PERSONALITIES
Lt. Colonel (Rtd) Johnny Paul Koroma
is someone who has been used to the
profession of arms,
but these days he has taken up the task of
waving the
olive branch of peace in a war-torn nation
Johnny Paul Koroma’s father was a private in Sierra Leone’s colonial force and took part in the Burma campaign during World War II. His mother, Rebecca Beikai Koroma, bore four children of which Johnny Paul was the second youngest.
Johnny Paul was born in 1960 in the north-east of Sierra Leone. He attended Catholic schools in Freetown — St. Anthony’s Primary School and then St. Edward’s Secondary School. In 1985, he joined the army as a recruit and having completed his basic training, went on to do an advanced training course. In 1987, he was chosen to go to the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England, as a cadet officer.
In 1989, Johnny Paul returned to Sierra Leone and was appointed a platoon commander and then a company commander. He achieved promotion at a steady rate and was posted to various units in the country and served in various capacities: Adjutant 1st Battalion; Adjutant 7th Battalion; Officer Commanding Tanks and Armoured Unit; First Brigade Major Commanding 7th Battalion and 22nd Battalion. In 1994, he was given the opportunity to enter Teshi Military College in Ghana, where he followed a junior command and a staff course.
Head of State
By then, Sierra Leone was in the midst of a raging civil war and in 1996, Johnny Paul Koroma was implicated in plot to overthrow the government of President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. He was arrested and taken to court and finally convicted. On 27 May 1997, while waiting to appeal against the verdict, junior army officers stormed the Pademba Road Maximum Security Prison and rescued Johnny Paul. By 7 P.M. the same day, he was Head of State and Chairman of an Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC). And for the first time in seven years, the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) movement was invited to take part in a government of national unity.
By this time, the international community was becoming increasingly concerned by what was taking place inside Sierra Leone, and sanctions were imposed. Did Johnny Paul regret any decisions he had taken? «No», he is reported as saying. «I had a firm conviction that the only way Sierra Leone’s civil war could be ended was to bring the RUF out of the jungle. However, it is clear that some politicians and senior military officers were benefitting from the war at that time».
Johnny Paul Koroma’s hold on government (from 27 May 1997 to 12 February 1998) was shaky at the best of times. His government was finally ousted on 12 February 1998 by the Nigerian-led West African Intervention Force (ECOMOG). Those troops still loyal to him, fled with him into the jungle. In this situation, Johnny Paul and his family were arrested by the notorious Sam Bockarie (also called «The Mosquito»), the RUF‘s battlefield commander. Koroma recalls: «It was a terrible time but I was not surprised. I was convinced that one day I should be free».
Chairman of the
Commission for the Consolidation of Peace
In July 1999, a peace accord was signed in Lome, Togo, between the government and the rebel factions. A blanket amnesty was granted to all those who had rebelled against the government. By 3 October, the same year, Johnny Paul had returned to Freetown. He was appointed Chairman of the Commission for the Consolidation of Peace (CCP), a position he still holds.
Those who know Johnny Paul Koroma have observed that his ambitions in life have somewhat changed. How does he find his new job? «Interesting», he says, «but I am not getting much support from the powers-that-be». His role has now changed from a soldier-under-arms, to a messenger of peace, striving to bring divergent parties together and working to rekindle hope and harmony in a society torn apart by so many years of war. Johnny Paul is now studying Theology at the Faith Bible College in Freetown, so he has been asked if he intends to become a religious leader in the future? By way of reply, he says: «Any leader should not just be a physical leader, but also a spiritual leader. And the only way to become a spiritual leader is to study the word of God». Does he have any political ambitions? «That is something I will not discuss with anyone», he says.
Johnny Paul Koroma is a born-again Christian. He is married with five children (two boys and three girls). He loves sport, reading, playing squash and jogging. He is widely respected both inside military circles and elsewhere for his bravery. People recall that in 1994, when the RUF rebels were within 18 miles of Freetown, he led a contingent of soldiers to repel them. On 7 May 2000, RUF rebels again advanced towards Freetown after abducting 300 UN troops, plus tanks and ammunition. When the whole nation was despairing and the regular army was unable to contain the situation, Johnny Paul Koroma mobilised soldiers who had remained loyal to the ousted AFRC junta and intercepted the RUF 38 miles from the city.
«A man who remains calm and cool under pressure, firm in his decisions, soft spoken but not afraid to speak his mind». That is how Johnny Paul Koroma is described by those who know him.
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