By Saio Marrah
Military officers from the rank of lieutenant and above are meeting in Freetown to discuss how they can improve the capability of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) amidst the general societal challenges.
Minister of Defence, Retired Brigadier- General Kellie Hassan Conteh addressed the officers at the commencement of a two- day Military Command Group Conference, yesterday at the Myohaung Officers Mess, Wilberforce Barracks in Freetown, .
The conference is aimed at highlighting security challenges of the force and as well as ensuring commanders brainstorm on possible solutions in addressing challenges as the country approaches the General Elections.
The theme of the conference is “Enhancing RSLAF in providing maximum security to the people of Sierra Leone.”
Conteh spoke of what he called grey areas that the officers at the conference should focus on during deliberations.
He said military personnel should know how to maintain their credibility and behave professionally.
The minister also noted that no amount of weapon can stop a desperate and angry civilian. For this he said as the force being the main security sector which the government heavily relies on, they should maintain the public trust which he said they had built over the period.
He said they should serve as credible player when carrying out their duties towards the state, while making reference to the subsequent interventions of the force in assisting the Sierra Leone Police quell situations professionally.
He spoke about trainings that enhance the RSLAF on crowd control, and suggested that the military should start identifying possible new locations for military training as the current Benguema training facility may not be available for use in the future.
He also talked about military doctrine and concepts, which he said should focus on the fundamental principles adopted by countries like United States, United Kingdom, Canada and see which can be fit into Sierra Leone’s military context.
He also highlighted many other related issues which he said the outcome of the conference should work towards addressing.
In his statement, the Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General Patrick K Lavahun, said the underlying focus is “professionalism” and expressed delight that the conference focuses at integrating the capability of the RSLAF
Gen. Lavahun called on the other heads of the military participating in the brainstorming process to come out with practical solutions in achieving the emerging challenges.
The military chief also pointed out how the government has shown its commitment in the improvement of the capability of the force, despite the economic challenges the country is facing.
Speaking on behalf of the Inspector General of Sierra Leone Police, Assistant Inspector General, Mohamed Brima Jah, after acknowledging the immense contributions the RSLAF has been providing to the Police force when needed in the execution of internal security issues, said mapping out security issues for the RSLAF is welcoming news.
He also noted that as the election is very fast approaching the SLP is heavily relying on the RSLAF as according to him, they do not have the required personnel to effectively carry out security related issues.
Other speakers made similar contributions all geared towards achieving the capability of the military force.
Copyright © 2022 Politico (16/12/22)
