# Ahmad Tejan Kabbah

_Sierra Leonean President (1932–2014)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/ahmad-tejan-kabbah
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah (16 February 1932 – 13 March 2014) was a Sierra Leonean politician who served as the third President of Sierra Leone from 1996 to 1997 and from 1998 to 2007. An economist and attorney by profession, Kabbah spent many years working for the United Nations Development Programme. He retired from the United Nations and returned to Sierra Leone in 1992.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 16 February 1932 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q336297#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Pendembu ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q336297#P19))
- **Died:** 13 March 2014 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q336297#P570))
- **Place of death:** Freetown ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q336297#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Sierra Leone ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q336297#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; economist; local government officer; barrister ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q336297#P106))
- **Political party:** Sierra Leone People's Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q336297#P102))
- **Education:** Aberystwyth University; Cardiff Metropolitan University; St. Edward's Secondary School ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q336297#P69))
- **Spouse:** Patricia Kabbah; Isata Jabbie Kabbah ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q336297#P26))
- **Positions held:** Minister of Defence and National Security of Sierra Leone (1999–2007); President of Sierra Leone (10 March 1998 – 17 September 2007); President of Sierra Leone (29 March 1996 – 6 February 1998); president ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q336297#P39))

## About

In 1996, Kabbah was elected leader of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) and was the party's presidential candidate in the country's first free presidential election later that year, winning. Most of Kabbah's time in office was influenced by the civil war with the Revolutionary United Front, led by Foday Sankoh, which led to him being temporarily ousted by the military Armed Forces Revolutionary Council from May 1997 to March 1998. He was soon returned to power after military intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by Nigeria. Another phase of the civil war led to the United Nations and British involvement in the country in 2000.

As President, Kabbah opened direct negotiations with the RUF rebels to end the civil war. He signed several peace accords with Sankoh, including the 1999 Lomé Peace Accord, in which the rebels, for the first time, agreed to a temporary ceasefire with the Sierra Leone government. When the cease-fire agreement with the rebels collapsed, Kabbah campaigned for international assistance from the British, the United Nations Security Council, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States to help defeat the rebels and restore peace and order in Sierra Leone.

Kabbah declared the civil war officially over in early 2002. Kabbah won another term in office in the presidential election later that year.

## Questions

**When was Ahmad Tejan Kabbah born?**  
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah was born on 16 February 1932 in Pendembu.

**What positions has Ahmad Tejan Kabbah held?**  
Positions held by Ahmad Tejan Kabbah include: Minister of Defence and National Security of Sierra Leone (1999–2007); President of Sierra Leone (1998–2007); President of Sierra Leone (1996–1998); president.

**Where did Ahmad Tejan Kabbah study?**  
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah was educated at Aberystwyth University, Cardiff Metropolitan University, St. Edward's Secondary School.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Ahmad Tejan Kabbah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_Tejan_Kabbah) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q336297](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q336297) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Ahmad Tejan Kabbah 2002.jpg by Christian Lambiotte / European Communities (CC BY 4.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ahmad_Tejan_Kabbah_2002.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Ahmad Tejan Kabbah 2002.jpg — Christian Lambiotte / European Communities, CC BY 4.0.

## Cite this page

"Ahmad Tejan Kabbah". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/ahmad-tejan-kabbah. Retrieved 6 November 2026.