Editing Valentine Strasser (section)

{{Short description|Head of State of Sierra Leone from 1992 to 1996}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Valentine Strasser
| nationality         = Sierra Leonean
| image               = Valentine Strasser illustration.png
| caption             = Illustration of Strasser produced by [[Voice of America]]
| order               = [[List of heads of state of Sierra Leone|Head of State of Sierra Leone]]
| deputy              = [[Solomon Musa]]<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/osu.32435083449264|title=Chiefs of State and Cabinet members of foreign governments / National Foreign Assessment Center. 1992May-Oct.|via=HathiTrust|year=2003|hdl=2027/osu.32435083449264}}</ref><br/>[[Julius Maada Bio]]<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/osu.32435083447896|title=Chiefs of State and Cabinet members of foreign governments / National Foreign Assessment Center. 1995Jan-Apr 1995.|via=HathiTrust|year=2003|hdl=2027/osu.32435083447896}}</ref>
| term_start          = 1 May 1992
| term_end            = 16 January 1996
| predecessor         = [[Yahya Kanu]]
| successor           = [[Julius Maada Bio]]
| office2             = Chairman of the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC)
| term_start2         = 1 May 1992
| term_end2           = 16 January 1996
| primeminister2      = 
| predecessor2        = Yahya Kanu
| successor2          = [[Julius Maada Bio]]
| office3             = 
| term_start3         = 
| term_end3           = 
| primeminister3      = 
| predecessor3        = 
| office4             = 
| term_start4         = 
| term_end4           = 
| primeminister4      = 
| predecessor4        = 
| successor4          = 
| birth_name          = Valentine Esegragbo Melvine Strasser
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1967|4|26}}
| birth_place         = [[Freetown]], Sierra Leone
| ethnicity           = 
| party               = [[Military Junta]] (National Provisional Ruling Council- NPRC)
| spouse              = 
| children            = Valentine Strasser Jr
| residence           = [[Newton, Sierra Leone|Newton]], Sierra Leone
| alma_mater          = [[University of Warwick]], [[Coventry]], England, UK
| profession          = Army officer
| blank1              = Religion
| data1               = [[Anglican]]
| allegiance          = 
| branch              = [[Sierra Leone Army]]
| serviceyears        = 1985–1996
| rank                = [[Captain (OF-2)|Captain]]
| unit                = 
| commands            = 
| battles             = [[Sierra Leone Civil War]]
| awards              = 
| alt                 = Illustration of a headshot of Strasser in a military uniform on a white background
}}

'''Valentine Esegragbo Melvine Strasser''' (born 26 April 1967) is a former Sierra Leonean military officer who served as [[Heads of Government of Sierra Leone|head of state]] of [[Sierra Leone]] from 1992 to 1996. He became the world's youngest head of state in 1992, seizing power three days after his 25th birthday.

Strasser was born and raised in the neighbourhood of [[Allen Town]] in the east end of Sierra Leone's capital [[Freetown]] to [[Krio people|Creole]] parents. He [[Military service|enlisted]] in the [[Republic of Sierra Leone Military Forces]] (RSLMF) at age eighteen, immediately after graduating from [[secondary school]]. In the context of the [[Sierra Leone Civil War]] which had erupted in the previous year, he led a [[1992 Sierra Leonean coup d'état|coup d'état in 1992]] which overthrew president [[Joseph Saidu Momoh]]. He then established the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) [[military junta]]. During the war, he hired [[Executive Outcomes]], a South African mercenary firm to repel the [[Revolutionary United Front]] (RUF) rebel group.

As the war continued, after nearly four years in power, Strasser was ousted in a second [[military coup]] in 1996,<ref>{{cite press release |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=SECRETARY-GENERAL DISTURBED BY REPORTS OF COUP D'ETAT IN SIERRA LEONE |url=https://www.un.org/press/en/1996/19960116.sgsm5874.html |publisher=United Nations |date=1996-01-16 |access-date=2022-05-02}}</ref> led by his deputy, [[Brigadier General]] [[Julius Maada Bio]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Sierra Leone - Civil War |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Britannica |date=2008-03-19 |year=2008 |last=Tikkanen |first=Amy |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Sierra-Leone/Civil-war |access-date=2022-05-02}}</ref> Following his overthrow, he lived in England where he unsuccessfully sought asylum. He later unsuccessfully attempted to enter [[the Gambia]] in 2000 before eventually returning to Sierra Leone.