Sierra Leone - Military Doctrine

Responsibility for formulating defence policy rests with the Government. It is assisted in this task by the Defence Council and the Defence Policy and Operations Committee at MOD. The Office of National Security (ONS) plays an important role in the co-ordination of security matters and policy initiatives, and the MOD therefore places a high premium on maintaining close and effective relations with the ONS. Officials working in the MOD help ministers to implement policy on behalf of the Government.

A threat to national interest and security can come from external and internal sources or a combination of both. Principally the lead for domestic security lies with the civil authorities, particularly the police. However, the RSLAF plays an important part in the defence of the nation by ensuring the integrity of our land, air and sea borders from would- be-aggressors. It also plays a vital part when called upon to do so by rendering Military Aid to the Civil Authorities.

The RSLAF's primary role and mission is to defend Sierra Leone's territorial integrity against external aggressors. To achieve this RSLAF needs sufficient forces to secure Sierra Leone's borders, land area and territorial waters. RSLAF will be designed and equipped to meet a range of military tasks. This includes a robust maritime and air capability to support the land forces.

For political, strategic and geographic reasons, defence co-operation with other West African States is a high priority. The Government will seek to strengthen the security and defence forums of the MRU, ECOWAS, and the AU. Also, as a responsible member of the international community, Sierra Leone will conduct its foreign policy, and external defence activities in accordance with International Law and acceptable norms. Interest is not confined to the sub-region or the continent, but rests in regenerating international trade links with the wider business community. Developing trade is vital to our national security and future economic well being.

The emergence of a professionally trained RSLAF has given new hope for Sierra Leone to play, at some time in the future, an active role in peace support operations and security duties in Africa and elsewhere thus enabling others to benefit from our hard-earned experience. There are expectations that in the longer term Sierra Leone will become actively involved in multinational peace support operations throughout the world.

In fulfilling these expectations, the RSLAF will embark on training programs for its officers and men so that they can effectively and honourably represent Sierra Leone in all peace support operations that the country deems appropriate. They would achieve this by contributing to treaty obligations, responding to regional insecurity, supporting allies or generally promoting international law and stability in the region. The government also had a long-term aspiration to contribute to wider peace enhancement, including international peacekeeping and ultimately peace enforcement operations. Overseas disaster relief may also be a feature of future tasking, but building this capability will take time, it does not exist at present.

A new mode of operations such as Military Aid to Civil Power (MACP) and Military Aid to other Authorities (MACA) were instituted under the security sector reform architecture which saw the RSLAF modus operandi changing from its traditional form to a contemporary concept. This concept defines the roles of the RSLAF and the Sierra Leone police (SLP) in maintaining security of the state. The SLP now has primacy in internal security, while the RSLAF is charged with the responsibility to protect the territorial integrity. That said the RSLAF can only be called upon to handle and support the SLP on internal security issue that is beyond their control. The JFC's current operations include:

• Internal operations - Joint RSLAF/SLP (FBP/FOB). These are standing operations conducted to secure the borders and territorial waters. It involves armed border presence; and robust internal and border patrolling in conjunction with the SLP.
• External operations - SRC. The RSLAF engaged in this operation for 3 years, with 5 x Companies deployed in Sudan successively, this operation was then discontinued and the last Coy arrived home safely.
• Regimental duties - During this cycle of operations, personnel are equally engaged in administrative duties and ceremonial functions such as Battalion duties, parades, Leave etc… at this time, personnel will have the privilege to stay with their families.

Responsibility for internal security and all other civil matters rests with the civil authorities. In other words, the only circumstances under which the RSLAF may undertake internal security duties will be when ministers have given explicit authorisation, normally in response to a request from the civilian Police, and invariably acting under Police primacy of control. In a stable democracy, the Armed Forces are the trusted guardians against external threat, and internal security is left entirely in the hands of the civilian Police.

When the RSLAF is deployed in support of the civil authorities the tasks it is capable of undertaking are wide-ranging and diverse. For example, the RSLAF may be called upon to help with reconstruction and rehabilitation following a national emergency or it might be used to assist in restoring law and order when the civil powers (police) are over stretched and unable to maintain internal security. This Government recognises the valuable contribution the RSLAF can make when supporting the civil authorities, but in principle deems the use of the RSLAF for other than military tasks as inappropriate, uneconomical and politically undesirable.