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Sierra Leone has welcomed David Richards, Baron Richards of Herstmonceux, whose military leadership played a pivotal role during one of the country’s most challenging periods.
Lord Richards, recently promoted to the honorary rank of Field Marshal in June 2025, is widely remembered in Sierra Leone for commanding Operation Palliser in 2000 during the civil war. Initially deployed to evacuate British and foreign nationals, the mission later expanded as security conditions rapidly worsened.
At the time, then-Brigadier Richards took decisive action in support of former President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and led military operations that helped defend Freetown against attacks by the Revolutionary United Front.
His intervention is widely credited with helping stabilise the capital and creating the foundation for the restoration of peace in Sierra Leone.
Before his service in Sierra Leone, Lord Richards served with the Royal Artillery across the Far East, Germany, and Northern Ireland, later commanding multinational forces in East Timor. His military career also included senior NATO appointments, leadership of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, and appointment as the United Kingdom’s Chief of the Defence Staff in 2009.
In 2014, he was made a life peer as Baron Richards of Herstmonceux and now serves as a crossbencher in the House of Lords. He also carried the Sword of Spiritual Justice during the coronation of Charles III.
Lord Richards has received several honours, including the Distinguished Service Order for his role in Sierra Leone and the Order of Rokel, highlighting the enduring relationship between Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom.
His visit is seen as an opportunity to reflect on Sierra Leone’s post-war progress while reaffirming the longstanding partnership between the two nations in peace, stability, and development.
