Military & Security
Sierra Leone
Military - note
The primary duties of the RSLAF involve safeguarding the nation's borders and territorial seas, aiding civil authorities during domestic crises, and engaging in peacekeeping operations. Following the conclusion of the civil war in 2002, it has benefited from support provided by various foreign military forces, including those from Canada, China, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The RSLAF traces its roots to the Sierra Leone Battalion of the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF), a multi-regimental entity established by the British colonial administration in 1900 to garrison the West African territories of Gold Coast (Ghana), Nigeria (specifically Lagos and the protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria), Sierra Leone, and The Gambia. The RWAFF participated in both World Wars (2025).
Military expenditures
Military Expenditures 2020
0.3% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021
0.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022
0.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023
0.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2024
0.5% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military and security forces
Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): structured as a Joint Force Command comprising land, air, and naval elements.
Ministry of Internal Affairs: Sierra Leone Police (2025).
Military service age and obligation
The age range for voluntary military service is 18 to 25 for both men and women; there is no conscription (2025).
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
The RSLAF maintains a limited inventory, consisting mainly of outdated or secondhand imported weaponry (2025).
Military and security service personnel strengths
estimated 10,000 active Armed Forces (2025)