The roots of Sierra Leone's civil war lie in aftermath of the 1964 death of the country's first prime minister, Sir Milton Margai. He had governed since independence in 1961, concentrating on building Sierra Leone's infrastructure. His Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) remained in power until 1967, when it was voted out ofr incompetence and corruption. The new president, Siaka Stevens of the All People's Congress (APC), proceeded to pillage the country's economy nad infrastructure, then outlawed the SLPP. His successor, Joseph Momoh, was even more inept and corrupt. By 1991, Sierra Leone had a collapsed economy, was one of the world's most poorest countries, and was ripe for internal violence.