Ministry of Defence and National Security (Sierra Leone)
# Ministry of Defence and National Security (Sierra Leone)

Sierra Leone Ministry of Defence and National Security is a Sierra Leonean government department in charge of implementing and supervising the 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 in central Freetown, 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, and is appointed by the President of Sierra Leone and must be confirmed by the Parliament of Sierra Leone in order to take office.

The current Minister of Defence and National Security is a retired Brig Gen Kellie Hassan Conteh, who was appointed by President Julius Maada Bio 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.

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, Sierra Leone's president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah appointed himself Minister of Defence and National Security, which is legal.

### List of ministers

| Minister of Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| - | - | - | - |
| Kabbah, AhmadAhmad Tejan Kabbah (1932–2014) | 2 November 1999 | September 2007 | 7 years, 358 days |
| Conteh, AlfredMajor (Rtd.) Alfred Paolo Conteh | 26 October 2007 | 5 May 2018 | 10 years, 191 days |
| Sheriff, SimeonColonel (Rtd.) Simeon Nasiru Sheriff (born 1959) Acting | 5 May 2018 | 20 November 2019 | 1 year, 199 days |
| Conteh, KellieBrigadier general (Rtd.) Kellie Hassan Conteh GCOR | 20 November 2019 | Incumbent | 3 years, 249 days |
