Incoming 5 Infantry Brigade Commander Engages Peace Commission on National Stability
Sia Lucy Kannah The Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC) and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) are exploring ways to strengthen collaboration in preventing conflicts, promoting peaceful coexistence and maintaining national stability.
The commitment emerged during a courtesy visit by an ICPNC delegation to the incoming Commander of the 5 Infantry Brigade, Brigadier General Dennis Martin Kpademba, at the Brigade Headquarters in Gondama, Bo District.
The delegation, led by ICPNC South Regional Coordinator Belinda Ndanema and accompanied by Senior Officer Suleiman Macasuba, used the meeting to discuss the Commission’s statutory mandate, ongoing peacebuilding initiatives across the Southern Province and potential areas of collaboration with the military.
Discussions centred on proactive conflict prevention, community-level mediation and strengthening social cohesion, with both institutions recognising the importance of working together to address disputes before they escalate into violence.
Welcoming the delegation, Brigadier General Kpademba acknowledged the complementary roles of the military and the Peace Commission, noting that although their operational approaches differ, both institutions share the responsibility of promoting peace and national stability.
He explained that while the military relies on its security capabilities to maintain order, the Peace Commission uses non-violent approaches, particularly dialogue and mediation, to resolve disagreements and prevent conflict.
The ICPNC representatives reaffirmed the importance of partnerships between security institutions and peacebuilding organisations, stressing that lasting national peace requires more than security enforcement and must include active community engagement and dialogue.
The Commission also highlighted the need for sustained cooperation with the RSLAF and other security actors to strengthen conflict prevention mechanisms and encourage communities to resolve differences peacefully.
The engagement forms part of ICPNC’s broader efforts to establish strategic partnerships with key national institutions and strengthen the structures needed to preserve peaceful coexistence, national unity and stability across Sierra Leone.