Brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

David Lansana (22 March 1922 – 19 July 1975) was a Sierra Leonean

military officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent c ...

and prominent military figure in

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...

during its colonial and post-independence period. Lansana was one of the most distinguished officers in the history of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces, and was one of the first Sierra Leoneans to train at the

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academy, military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial Commissioned officer, officer train ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Through his marriage to Komeh Gulama Lansana, the daughter of Paramount Chief Julius Gulama of Kaiyamba Chiefdom, Lansana was therefore a relative of Paramount Chief Ella Koblo Gulama and her husband Paramount Chief Bai Koblo Pathbana II, two of the nation's most influential politicians. On 21 March 1967, Lansana staged Sierra Leone's first

coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

. Lansana was charged with treason, tried and found guilty, and was eventually executed on 19 July 1975.

Early life and education

Lansana was born on 22 March 1922 in

Baiima Baiima is a small town in Bo District in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Gu ...

, Mandu Chiefdom, Kailahun District, British Sierra Leone. He was a Mende. In 1947, he enlisted as a private and began his training in the Sierra Leone Army. Lansana was the bearer of Sierra Leone's colours during the coronation of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

Lansana was one of a small, elite group of Sierra Leoneans to be educated and trained at the

during the colonial period. As a Lieutenant, he was a frequent and popular visitor to the home of Sir Robert de Zouche Hall, Governor of Sierra Leone from 1952 to 1956.

Marriage and family

He was married to Komeh Gulama Lansana, the daughter of Paramount Chief Julius Gulama of Kaiyamba Chiefdom and Madame Lucy Gulama.Tribute to the Honourable PC Ella Koblo Gulama
/ref> The Gulamas are Mende royalty and among the most important ruling families in

. His father-in-law was a founding member of the Sierra Leone People's Party, the first and oldest political party in the country. His sister-in-law was Paramount Chief Ella Koblo Gulama. His brother-in-law was Paramount Chief Bai Koblo Pathbana II. Lansana and his wife had five children Sheku, Judy, Tala, Foday, and Kornya. Lansana also had a son, Daniel, from another relationship.

Force Commander of the Sierra Leone Military

He was appointed army commander of

in 1964.Political leadership in Sierra Leone by John R. Cartwright page 80. When his close friend and ally Prime Minister Albert Margai came to power, Brigadier Lansana took control of the army from British colonial adviser, Brigadier R.D. Blackie. Margai promoted a one-party (non-democratic) state. Both Lansana and Margai came from the Mende tribe which exacerbated existing conflicts with the northern tribes and the Krios. Northern and Krio officers were systematically purged from the armed forces.

Sierra Leone's first coup d'état

1967 general election

On 17 March 1967, Margai was defeated in the general election. The All People's Congress (APC) won 32 seats in parliament while Margai's SLPP held on to just 28 seats.

Martial law

was the first country in postcolonial Africa to hold a successful democratic election. This distinction lasted only four days. On 21 March 1967, Lansana instructed

Samuel Hinga Norman Samuel Hinga Norman (January 1, 1940 – February 22, 2007) was a Sierra Leonean politician from the Mende tribe. He was the founder and leader of the Civil Defence Forces, commonly known as the Kamajors. The Kamajors supported the government of ...

to conduct the extrajudicial arrest of the new, democratically elected prime minister

Siaka Stevens Siaka Probyn Stevens (24 August 1905 – 29 May 1988) was the leader of Sierra Leone from 1967 to 1985, serving as Prime Minister from 1967 to 1971 and as President from 1971 to 1985. Stevens' leadership was often characterized by patrimonial ...

. The arrest took place prior to the announcement of the election result. Lansana then seized control of Government House as well as the national radio and television channels and declared

martial law Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...

. On 22 March 1967, Lansana made a second radio broadcast reiterating his declaration of

. He was determined to restore

Albert Margai Sir Albert Michael Margai (10 October 1910 – 18 December 1980) was the second prime minister of Sierra Leone and the half-brother of Sir Milton Margai, the country's first Prime Minister. He was also the father of Sierra Leonean politician ...

to power.

Counter coup

Lansana's unilateral decision was unpopular with many of his fellow Mende officers who did not believe the army should be a tool of internal government.Political leadership in Sierra Leone by John R. Cartwright pages 80-81. In addition to this, before the coup d'état his influence with his subordinates had been compromised by accusations of "drunkenness" and "womanizing". On 23 March 1967, Major Charles Blake and other senior military officers relieved Lansana of his command. They established the National Reformation Council (NRC) and took control of the government. Subsequently, Lt.-Colonel Andrew Juxon-Smith, of the Krio community, who was abroad when the coup took place, was asked to return and head the NRC military regime in 1968.

Arrest

Both Lansana and his sister-in-law Paramount Chief Ella Koblo Gulama were arrested on charges of treason and detained at Padema Road Prison. Both were charged with

conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, treason, or corruption, especially with a political motivat ...

with former Prime Minister Albert Margai. The claim was based on a meeting between Gulama and Margai on 19 March 1967 in which Margai is said to have expressed his wish not to lose his office. He was said to be weighing his options, including military intervention. Gulama was a

minister without portfolio A minister without portfolio is a government minister without specific responsibility as head of a government department. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet with decision-making authorit ...

in Margai's government. She was also the hereditary ruler of Kaiyamba District, the most powerful Mende chiefdom in

. She reportedly advised him not to stand down from the office of

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

in spite of the APC victory. She was also reported to have offered him her formidable support and suggested that both Margai bribe Lansana to stage a coup d'état. The charges against Gulama could not be proven and she was released from prison after one and a half year.

Incarceration and execution

Lansana was detained at Pademba Road Prison,

Freetown Freetown () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, e ...

. On 19 July 1975, Lansana was executed by hanging with former Minister of Finance Mohamed Forna, Lieutenant Habib Lansana Kamara,

Ibrahim Bash Taqi Ibrahim may refer to: * Ibrahim (name), including a list of people with the name ** Abraham in Islam * Ibrahim (surah), a surah of the Qur'an * ''Ibrahim'' (play) or ''Ibrahim The Illustrious Bassa'', a 1676 tragedy by Elkanah Settle, based on a ...

, and Paramount Chief Bai Makarie N’silk were executed at Pademba Road Prison. After their executions, their bodies were displayed for an hour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lansana, David 1922 births 1975 deaths 20th-century executions by Sierra Leone Executed Sierra Leonean people Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Leaders who took power by coup Mende people People executed by Sierra Leone by hanging Prime ministers of Sierra Leone Sierra Leonean military personnel Sierra Leonean royalty People from Kailahun District Sierra Leonean expatriates in the United States 20th-century Sierra Leonean politicians