Johnny Paul Koroma, born on May 9, 1960, in Sherbro Island, Sierra Leone, was a military officer and political figure in Sierra Leone. He is best known for his role as the leader of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) during the Sierra Leone Civil War. Koroma began his military career in the Sierra Leone Army, rising through the ranks and becoming a major. In May 1997, he led a group of military officers in a coup d'état that overthrew the government of President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. Koroma established the AFRC, a military junta that assumed control of the country. Under Koroma's leadership, the AFRC engaged in a brutal and violent rule, characterized by widespread human rights abuses and atrocities. The AFRC was notorious for its involvement in the diamond trade and its brutal treatment of civilians, including killings, amputations, and sexual violence. The civil war in Sierra Leone intensified with the intervention of the regional peacekeeping force, the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). ECOMOG, along with loyalist forces, launched a counteroffensive against the AFRC. In February 1998, Koroma's regime was ousted, and President Kabbah was reinstated. Following the ousting of the AFRC, Koroma went into hiding but was eventually captured and arrested in Nigeria in 2000. He was extradited to Sierra Leone, where he faced charges of treason and other crimes against humanity. Koroma was tried by the Special Court for Sierra Leone and convicted of various offenses, including murder, and sentenced to death. However, in 2003, President Kabbah commuted the death sentences of Koroma and other convicted individuals to life imprisonment. Koroma remained in prison until his death in 2003 under unclear circumstances. Johnny Paul Koroma's role in the Sierra Leone Civil War and his leadership of the AFRC left a lasting impact on the country. His regime's actions during that period resulted in widespread suffering and destabilization. The legacy of Koroma and the AFRC serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed during the conflict and the ongoing efforts to promote peace, justice, and reconciliation in Sierra Leone.