Valentine Strasser
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Valentine Esegragbo Melvine Strasser (born 1967 in Freetown, Sierra Leone) is a former head of state of Sierra Leone.
He was a junior military officer until 1992, when he was among a group of young officers who overthrew Joseph Momoh. Afterwards, the group formed the National Provisional Ruling Council, with Strasser as its leader. At age 25, Strasser became the world's youngest head of state.
His rule was mostly unremarkable by the standards of African dictators. He continued the civil war against Foday Sankoh and the Revolutionary United Front, but without much success. In an attempt to break the deadlock, he hired the mercenary firm Executive Outcomes to supplement his own military.
In January, 1996, he was overthrown in a polite coup by Julius Maada Bio, who sent him into exile. He was invited by the UN to study law at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, but stopped his studies after a year. He was unemployed in England until 2000, when the general public became aware of his presence.
Eventually he ended up back in Sierra Leone, unemployed and living with his mother.
His brief period of rule is mentioned in the Super Furry Animals track "Placid Casual," from the album Radiator.
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| Preceded by Yahya Kanu |
President of Sierra Leone 1992–1996 |
Succeeded by Julius Maada Bio |
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