United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence (DASD) for African Affairs, Chidi Blyden has on Monday 01 August, 2022 met with Sierra Leone Deputy Minister of Defence, Muana Massaquoi and Chief of Defence Staff Lt. GEN Sullay Sesay at the Ministry of Defence in Freetown to discuss the U.S. military partnership and security challenges in the region.

DASD Blyden, Deputy Minister Massaquoi, and Lt. GEN Sullay reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Sierra Leonean bilateral security and defense relationship.

The leaders exchanged ideas and views on maritime security, countering Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, counterterrorism and how to bolster cooperation to address mutual security concerns.

DASD Blyden and the DoD has made it a priority to reinforce the relationships, capacity and capability of West African nations.

This engagement and other future outreach to African partners will help to address the most pressing security concerns on the continent and enable countries to learn from each other and work together.