By Tilly Barrie
The head of media at the Ministry of Defence has said that no woman in the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces is among the 835 (eight hundred and thirty five) slated to serve in the African Union Mission for Somalia (AMISOM). Major Ken Jabbie told Politico that the battalion would leave Sierra Leone on 2 April 2013 but that they had been advised not to send women personnel because of the prevailing conditions in the mission, where rape was being used as a weapon by enemy forces. At the Peace Mission Training Centre, at Hastings, outside Freetown where the troops underwent training by expatriates, President Ernest Bai Koroma motivated and bade farewell to the troops. He said that the country in 2010 had pledged to give a battalion to AMISOM as its contribution to global peace and in 2011 signed a memorandum of understanding to that effect. After more than 12 months, he said, “the gallant” LEOBATT 1 was “adequately prepared” for the mission. “Sierra Leone is now a country that is a force for peace in the world and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces have gained an enviable reputation” he said, adding that the country was now embarking on “a great journey of peace”. He said that the troops would showcase how a transformed nation and military could be a force for democracy and peace. He urged them to be ambassadors of peace in Somalia and thanked the United Kingdom and United States for their support for making the mission possible. He warned that the task might not be an easy one because a lot had happened in AMISOM since 2007. The commander of training, Lt. Col. Christian Marah said they were prepared for the occasion. Commanding Officer of LEOBATT 1, Lt. Col. Abubakarr Conteh, said his men were ready and prepared to contribute to peace in Somalia. He said that final training started on 3 January 2013 to maximize operational readiness of the troops, and paid tribute to the five soldiers whom he said died of natural causes during training.
