The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) has assured the general public that the security situation in the country remains peaceful and that the maritime wing has also rescued lives and property while others will soon participate in International peace keeping operations.
Speaking at a press conference over the weekend at the ministry of Defence, Tower Hill in Freetown, the Chief of Defence Staff and military spokesman Brigadier Alfred Claude Nelson Williams said the Forward Operational Base (FOB) deployed at the Bonthe Naval Wing rescued ten passengers on board. He said the boat developed an engine problem while shuttling between Momaya and York Island village, adding that the maritime wing rescued a rigid inflatable boat and attended to French warship LV Le Henaff.
Brigadier Nelson Williams intimated that the minister of Defence together with the commander Joint Force recently visited China to solicit assistance from the Chinese government in the areas of providing logistical support and courses for RSLAF personnel especially in the field of medicine and maritime.
The Chinese government donated ten fast attack craft and other equipment to the RSLAF’s maritime wing to improve its personal capacity to shoulder its scared responsibility of safeguarding Sierra Leone’s sovereignty.
He also highlighted that some of the infrastructure at Bengeuma Barracks were in disrepair, but that the ministry of Defence in collaboration with DFID’s security sector undertook to repair 230 other ranks’ married quarters at AFTC Bengeuma Barracks.
The Chief of Defence Staff and military spokesman added that 24 officers mostly doctors, nurses, and priests completed training to serve the army and that the public relations officer was currently at the Royal Military Academy at Sandust to undertake training in understanding the media and media policy.
Concluding, he noted that the RSLAF had been accepted into the UN system but that they required logistical support to start the first RSLAF UN mission. He however stated that five officers were currently serving in the UN mission in East Timor.
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