Sierra Leone Ministry of Defence and National Security is a
Sierra Leonean
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...
government department in charge of implementing and supervising the
Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, Sierra Leone Armed Forces and the territorial security of Sierra Leone's international border and defending the national interests of Sierra Leone.
Location
The Ministry of Defence and National Security building is located in State Avenue at
Tower Hill
Tower Hill is the area surrounding the Tower of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is infamous for the public execution of high status prisoners from the late 14th to the mid 18th century. The execution site on the higher grou ...
in central
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and p ...
, a few distance from the
State House.
Mission
Mission Statement
The mission of the Ministry is to formulate, implement, monitor and evaluate strategic defence policy for the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) that is effective and fostered within a framework of democratic governance.
Objectives
To formulate and implement strategic defence policy;
To develop and maintain a re-structured and robust RSLAF that is well trained, well disciplined and well cared for;
To equip and provide logistics support to the RSLAF;
To transform the RSLAF into an organization that is accountable, incorruptible and subject to democratic control;
To continually evolve and improve the RSLAF;
To deliver the endorsed Defence Missions and Military Tasks.
Minister of Defence
The department is headed by the Minister of Defence and National Security, who must be a
civilian
Civilians under international humanitarian law are "persons who are not members of the armed forces" and they are not "combatants if they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war". It is slightly different from a non-combatant, b ...
, and is appointed by the
President of Sierra Leone
The president of the Republic of Sierra Leone is the head of state and the head of government of Sierra Leone, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.
As the head of the executive branch of the Sierra Leone government, the presi ...
and must be confirmed by the
Parliament of Sierra Leone
Parliament of Sierra Leone is the legislative branch of the government of Sierra Leone. It is principally responsible for making laws. The Sierra Leone parliament consists of 146 members, of which 132 members are directly elected from across Si ...
in order to take office.
The current Minister of Defence and National Security is a retired
Brig Gen
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed to ...
Kellie Hassan Conteh, who was appointed by President
Julius Maada Bio
Julius Maada Wonie Bio (born 12 May 1964) is a Sierra Leonean politician, and the current president of Sierra Leone since 4 April 2018. He is a retired brigadier general in the Sierra Leone Army and was the military head of state of Sierra Leo ...
in October 2020. The Sierra Leone Minister of Defence is one of the most important, government agencies in the country and the position is usually held by a retired Sierra Leonean
military officer
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.
Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...
.
Like all government ministries in the country, the Minister of Defence can be dismissed by the president of Sierra Leone at any time. During the
Sierra Leone civil war
The Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002), or the Sierra Leonean Civil War, was a civil war in Sierra Leone that began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), with support from the special forces of Liberia, Liberian dictato ...
, Sierra Leone's president
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah (February 16, 1932 – March 13, 2014) was a Sierra Leonean politician who served twice as the 3rd President of Sierra Leone, from 1996 to 1997 and again from 1998 to 2007. An economist and attorney by profession, K ...
appointed himself Minister of Defence and National Security, which is legal.
List of ministers
References
External links
Official website
{{Departments of the Sierra Leone Government
Ministerial departments of the Sierra Leone Government
Military of Sierra Leone
1894 establishments in Sierra Leone