| Chief of the Defence Staff | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms of Sierra Leone | |
 IncumbentLieutenant General Sullay Ibrahim Sesay since 29 June 2020 | |
| Ministry of Defence | |
| Abbreviation | CDS |
| Reports to | Minister of Defence |
| Nominator | President of Sierra Leone |
| Appointer | Parliament of Sierra Leone |
| Formation | 1957 |
| First holder | R. D. Blakie |
| Website | Official website |
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the professional head of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces. He is responsible for the administration and the operational control of the Sierra Leonean military. It is the highest rank military position in the country.
In 1985, General Joseph Saidu Momoh, the army commander, succeed President Siaka Stevens. It is not clear what exactly Momoh's title was but it seems likely that he was the senior Sierra Leonean military officer and held the predecessor to the CDS's post.
Brigadier General Tom Carew was Chief of Defence Staff from April 2000 to November 2004. He may have been promoted to Major General during his tenure. Major General Alfred Nelson-Williams was the Chief of the Defence Staff of the Republic of the Armed Forces, between 2008-2010. Nelson-Williams succeeded the retiring Major General Edward Sam M'boma on 12 September 2008. The current chief is Lieutenant General Sullay Ibrahim Sesay.
List of chiefs
| No. | Picture | Chief of the Defence Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 | BlakieBrigadier R. D. Blakie | 1962 | 1964 | 1–2 years | |
| 2 |
.jpg) | Lansana, DavidBrigadier David Lansana (1922–1975) | 1964 | 1967 | 2–3 years | |
| 3 |
| Juxon-Smith, AndrewBrigadier Andrew Juxon-Smith (1931–1996) | 1967 | 1968 | 0–1 years | |
| 4 |
| Bangura, John AmaduBrigadier John Amadu Bangura (1930–1971) | 1968 | 1971 | 2–3 years | |
| 5 |
| Momoh, Joseph SaiduMajor General Joseph Saidu Momoh (1937–2003) | 1971 | 28 November 1985 | 13–14 years | |
| 6 |
| Tarawallie, M.S.Major General M.S. Tarawallie | 1985 | 1992 | 6–7 years | |
| 7 |
| Gottor, JusuMajor General Jusu Gottor | 1992 | 1994 | 1–2 years | |
| 8 |
| Conteh, KellieBrigadier Kellie Conteh | 1994 | 1995 | 0–1 years | |
| 9 |
 | Bio, Julius MaadaBrigadier Julius Maada Bio (born 1964) | 1995 | 1996 | 0–1 years | |
| 10 |
| Turay, JoyBrigadier Joy Turay | 1996 | 1996 | 0 years | |
| 11 |
| Conteh, HassanBrigadier Hassan Conteh | 1996 | 1997 | 0–1 years | |
| 12 |
| Khobe, MaxwellBrigadier General Maxwell Mitikishi Khobe (1950–2000) | April 1998 | April 2000 | 2 years | |
| 13 |
| Carew, TomMajor General Tom Carew | April 2000 | November 2004 | 4 years, 7 months | |
| 14 |
| M'boma, EdwardMajor General Edward Sam M'boma | 2005 | 12 September 2008 | 2–3 | |
| 15 |
| Nelson-Williams, AlfredMajor General Alfred Nelson-Williams | 12 September 2008 | August 2010 | 1 year, 10 months | |
| 16 |
| Koroma, RobertMajor General Robert Yira Koroma (?–2020) | August 2010 | 3 July 2012 | 1 year, 11 months | |
| 17 |
_(cropped).jpg) | Williams, SamuelLieutenant General Samuel Omar Williams (?–2016) | 24 July 2012 | April 2016 | 3 years, 8 months | |
| 18 |
| Milton, JohnLieutenant General John Edson Milton (born 1960) | 14 April 2016 | 29 November 2017 | 1 year, 229 days | |
| 19 |
| Sesay, BrimaLieutenant General Brima Sesay (born 1965) | 29 November 2017 | 29 June 2020 | 2 years, 213 days | |
| 20 |
| Sesay, SullayLieutenant General Sullay Ibrahim Sesay | 29 June 2020 | Incumbent | 4 years, 212 days |
References
- ^ "Sierra Leone: Security Information". Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
- ^ New Vision, Freetown, 15 September 2008
- ^ State House Media and Communications Unit. "Sierra Leone's New Chief of Defence Staff, Joint-Force Commander Subscribe to Oath of Office at State House". statehouse.gov.sl. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
- ^ "Home Page". mod.gov.sl. Ministry of Defence. 2018. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- Kamara, Saidu (20 February 2007). "Ahead of 2007 Elections…Chief of Defense Staff Rejects Polling Boxes". standardtimespress.net. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011.
- ^ Thomas, Abdul R. (11 September 2010). "The Sacking of Sierra Leone's Military and Police Chiefs: Can Good Men become so bad so soon?". The Sierra Leone Telegraph. Archived from the original on 27 September 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
- Government of Sierra Leone (30 November 2017). "New Army Chief of Defence Staff and Police boss in Sierra Leone". Cocorioko. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
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