By Alhaji Haruna Sani
Lieutenant General Peter K. Lavahun, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) has admonished senior military officers to abstain from national politics.
The Chief of Defence Staff was on Saturday, August 3rd advising the military at the Hockey Pitch in Wilberforce Barrack following the arrest of some top military officers in the country.
Few weeks back, the Sierra Police issued a press release, informing the general public about the arrest of senior military personnel within the RSLAF for alleged mutinying.
The arrest of those senior military personnel over the past week had created tension and sparked serious debate among the Sierra Leonean populace. But the public address to the military personnel by the Chief of Defence Staff has broken the silence.
The Chief of Defence Staff disclosed that six military officers and five Order Ranks including civilians were arrested following intelligence and credible evidence of wrong doing.
He advises members of RSLAF and the general public to refrain from politicising the arrest or associating the arrest to regional and tribal issues.
He assured the personnel that all those that will be named by those under arrest will also be arrested and investigated. He pleaded to the military personnel not to involve themselves with any wrong doings.
“Please, let us remain calm and do our normal work as soldiers and as men and women of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces. We have signed contract to maintain peace, so let us maintain peace and reflect on the past history of the country and let us don’t pray to go back to those days,” he admonised.
He concluded by informing the military to ignore all incitements and cease from anything that will bring embarrassment to the military.
Such admonishment from the CDS has been long anticipated by many citizens of Sierra Leone at a time when senior military officers including presidential guards have been seen issuing threatening remarks against the civilian populace which amount to gross misconduct by those personnel.
Military personnel attached to the Office of the President and the First Lady were also seen jubilating and threatening civilians who will attempt to contest the election outcome.
