| 5th President of Sierra Leone since 4 April 2018 Date of Birth: 12.05.1964 |
Julius Maada Bio, the fifth President of Sierra Leone, was born as one of 35 sons to a Mende chief in the Sogbini tribe. Initially aspiring to attend Fourah Bay College, he joined the military in 1985. In 1990, he was deployed to Liberia as part of an international peacekeeping force, where he met Valentine Strasser and Solomon Musa.
Upon his return to Sierra Leone in 1991, Bio witnessed the outbreak of civil war. In 1992, he participated in a military coup that toppled President Joseph Saidu Momoh and established the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) under Strasser's leadership. Bio served as head of the Southern Province and later became Strasser's deputy in 1994.
Strasser's weakened position due to failed negotiations with rebels prompted Bio, with the support of senior junta members, to stage a coup and become head of state in 1996. Advocating for a quick handover to civilian rule, Bio organized presidential elections, which were won by Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP).
After handing over power to Kabbah, Bio retired and moved to the United States, where he earned a degree in international relations from American University. Upon his return to Sierra Leone, he joined the ruling SLPP in 2005 and ran for party leadership but lost. In 2007, Bio caused controversy by suggesting he might launch another coup to prevent the All People's Congress (APC) from winning elections. However, Ernest Bai Koroma of the APC was elected president.
Bio's bid for the presidency in 2012 on the SLPP ticket was unsuccessful, as Koroma was re-elected. In a hard-fought race, Bio emerged victorious in the second round of the 2018 presidential election. He was sworn in as president on April 4, 2018.