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Military to be restructured, says President Kabbah

    ABIDJAN

    President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah announced on Monday the restructuring of the Sierra Leonean military which will consolidate separate command structures under one authority, Minister of Information and Communication, Cecil Blake, told IRIN.

    Kabbah said that the restructured force, to be known as the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), will replace the existing separate army, navy, and air force command structures by 1 April. RSLAF will be divided into two commands based at Cockerill Barracks in the capital Freetown. The Joint Force Command will be responsible for military operations and training, while the Joint Support Command will deal with personnel, logistic support and individual training. The military is expected to reach a capacity of approximately 11,000 soldiers

    "It is a phased process which will take place over the next couple of years," Blake told IRIN on Tuesday.

    The decistion by the Sierra Leonean government to change the shape of its military is indicative of the restructuring exercise that has been going on over the last 18 months which has received received strong input from the British, Blake said. The British army has been advising and training the Sierra Leone military since mid - 2000.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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