John Karefa-Smart

Who was John Karefa-Smart?

Dr. John Albert Musselman Karefa-Smart was a Sierra Leonean politician, medical doctor and university professor. He served as the first Foreign Minister under Sierra Leone's first Prime Minister, Milton Margai. He was an ordained Elder of the United Methodist Church.

A medical doctor by profession, Karefa-Smart was one of the founding fathers of the Sierra Leone People's Party in 1951. He was one of Sir Milton Margai's closest political advisors and a close personal friend. From 1957 to 1964, Karefa-Smart was a Member of Parliament of Sierra Leone from Tonkolili District.

After the death of Prime Minister Milton Margai in 1964, Karefa-Smart challenged Albert Margai for the SLPP leadership position, but he was unsuccessful, as Albert won the SLPP leadership and succeeded his brother as Sierra Leone's Prime Minister. Margai ultimately left the SLPP and politics overall and moved abroad to continue his professional career.

In 1996, Karefa-Smart returned to Sierra Leone's politics as the founder of the newly formed United National People's Party.