By Sulaiman Aruna Sesay
In a historic move towards strengthening national security, on Tuesday 26th March 2023, Sierra Leone’s parsliament has ratified two military agreements with the governments of the Republic of Turkiye and the Arab Republic of Egypt. The agreements include a military framework agreement between Sierra Leone and Turkey and a military cooperation protocol between the Ministry of Defence of Egypt and the Ministry of Defence of Sierra Leone.
The military framework agreement with Turkiye is expected to enhance the capacity of Sierra Leone’s military to counter security threats in the country and beyond. The agreement covers a wide range of areas, including Training, Science and Technology, Education, and Communication, and defence intelligence sharing.
The military cooperation protocol with Egypt is aimed at adding values in to the existing effort to transform the military to a professional, well trained, equipped and motivated body of men and women to safeguard the nation’s peace, stability and development. The cooperation and agreement when fully executed, will present great opportunities for Sierra Leone to transform its defence and security architecture in partnership with two of the strongest militaries on the continent. The agreement will also strengthen the existing bilateral relations between the Republic of Sierra Leone and both Egypt and Turkiye.
The ratification of the agreements has been hailed by several MPs who believe that the deals will strengthen the country’s national security and boost its capacity to security threats. They also argued that the agreements will pave the way for increased military cooperation and technical exchange between Sierra Leone, Turkiye, and Egypt.
In his submission, the chairman of the committee of defence, Hon. Alex Mattia Rogers, expressed his satisfaction with the agreements, adding that mark a significant milestone in Sierra Leone’s defence diplomacy efforts. He said the two agreements are not controversial but based on mutual agreements.
According to the opposition leader, Hon. Abdul Kargbo said, he has been in the military barracks both in war and in peace so he knows the essence of these agreements. “These two agreements are blessings for Sierra Leone”, he said. He urged the military to use these agreements to uplift the military standard.
The ratification of the military framework agreement between Sierra Leone and Turkey and the military cooperation protocol between Sierra Leone and Egypt marks a significant step towards strengthening national security and promoting regional stability and peace. The agreements demonstrate Sierra Leone’s commitment to enhancing its defence capability and forging robust partnerships with friendly nations.
