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Sierra Leone is set to commemorate this year’s Armed Forces Day with renewed national significance, honouring both fallen heroes and the international partners who stood alongside the nation during its most turbulent years.
The landmark ceremony will take place on Thursday at the Julius Maada Bio Parade Grounds, where President Julius Maada Bio, Commander-in-Chief of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, is expected to confer some of the country’s highest state honours on distinguished military personnel.
The awards will recognise acts of bravery, sacrifice, and exceptional service rendered during Sierra Leone’s decade-long civil war. In a historic first, foreign troops who contributed to ending the conflict will also be formally decorated during the national Armed Forces Day observance.
Those to be honoured served under the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) and the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL). Military personnel from countries including Kenya, Nigeria, the United States, and Guinea played decisive roles in stabilising Sierra Leone during some of the most volatile phases of the war.
Their intervention, alongside Sierra Leonean forces, was instrumental in reclaiming territory, protecting civilians, and restoring constitutional order. The recognition underscores the shared sacrifice and regional solidarity that helped lay the foundation for lasting peace.
Sierra Leonean soldiers who fought on the front lines in coordination with ECOMOG and UNAMSIL contingents will also receive honours, highlighting a legacy of cooperation that ultimately brought the conflict to a close.
Among the decorations to be conferred are two of the nation’s highest state honours the Grand Commander of the Order of the Rokel and the Commander of the Order of the Rokel. These distinctions symbolise the country’s formal gratitude to individuals whose courage and commitment defended national sovereignty.
Beyond ceremony, the event reflects Sierra Leone’s continuing effort to preserve historical memory and strengthen its culture of remembrance. More than two decades after the war, the nation is reaffirming its commitment to honouring those whose service came at great personal cost.
In recent years, President Bio has revitalised national Remembrance Day commemorations, reinforcing the importance of recognising sacrifice and service. This year’s Armed Forces Day builds on that commitment, placing remembrance and recognition at the centre of national reflection.
As Sierra Leone gathers to mark the occasion, Armed Forces Day will stand not only as a tribute to military tradition, but as a solemn reminder that the peace the nation enjoys today was secured through extraordinary courage, regional solidarity, and international partnership.
