AYV News, August 12, 2026
Sixty-one personnel of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), from the rank of Lance Corporal to Colonel, are set to undergo advanced military training in China as part of growing defence cooperation between Sierra Leone and the People’s Republic of China.
The personnel are being processed to attend specialised training programmes during the 2026/2027 academic year, covering areas ranging from command and strategic studies to military medicine, engineering, maritime operations and weapons technology.
Chief of General Staff, Major General Sahr David Thomas Ngaujah, made the disclosure at a reception held at the Chinese Embassy in Freetown on Wednesday, July 29, to commemorate the 99th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The scale and diversity of the training reflect the expanding military partnership between Sierra Leone and China, with the programmes expected to strengthen the professional, technical and operational capabilities of the RSLAF.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Yayah Brima, Director of Defence Public Relations and Information, the training will cover medical doctors and clinical nursing, defence and strategic studies, command and staff courses, engineering and communications equipment maintenance, computer and network technology, weapons maintenance and repair, ammunition technology, anti-tank missile operations and sniper training.
The programmes will also include military sports and martial arts instruction, shipping and diving, maritime operations, logistics, and vehicle maintenance and management.
The latest training initiative comes against the backdrop of increasing Chinese support to Sierra Leone’s Armed Forces under the bilateral relationship between President Julius Maada Bio and his Chinese counterpart.
In 2021, China donated 88 pieces of engineering equipment to the RSLAF to strengthen its capacity to undertake road construction and rehabilitation.
The equipment has contributed to the Armed Forces’ growing role in national infrastructure development. Over the past year, the RSLAF has constructed or rehabilitated more than 150 kilometres of roads, including routes linking Mile 91 to Magburaka, communities in Bonthe district, Buedu, and Gbangbantoke Junction to Shenge.
China also handed over a modern officers’ mess and a 104-room accommodation facility at Wilberforce Barracks in 2022.
Meanwhile, Director General of the Ministry of Defence, Gilbert Heavens Cooper, praised Chinese medical experts for their continued support to Sierra Leone’s military health services.
He particularly commended their collaboration with RSLAF medical personnel at the Chinese Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Centre at 34 Military Hospital.
Chinese Defence Attaché to Sierra Leone, Senior Colonel Pu Lin, reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to strengthening the capacity of the RSLAF.
He said China would continue to support professional training, promote military exchanges and cooperation, and strengthen defence relations between the two countries.
The latest deployment of Sierra Leonean military personnel to China is expected to further deepen the longstanding defence partnership while equipping RSLAF personnel with specialised skills needed to meet emerging security and operational demands.
