Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. Lieutenant General Amara Idara Bangura, the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), on Saturday 11 October 2025 commissioned a modern bakery at the Second Infantry Battalion in Kenema, calling the facility a bold stride toward military self-reliance and national development.
The event drew senior military officers, traditional leaders, business executives, and community members.
In his remark, Lieutenant General Bangura framed the bakery as part of a broader vision to position the RSLAF as a partner in national progress rather than an institution confined to defence duties. He said the Armed Forces must not only defend the nation but also contribute meaningfully to economic growth. He described the bakery as one of several military-led development projects that include large-scale rice and maize farming, cashew plantations, road construction, engineering works, a 600-bed military hospital, and solar energy ventures.
Bangura pledged that all military business activities would operate under full transparency and audit supervision, aligning those initiatives with President Julius Maada Bio’s emphasis on accountability and sustainable development.
Paramount Chief Kapuwa of Nongowa Chiefdom lauded the CDS for his vision and leadership, describing him as “a soldier who believes in development beyond the barracks.”
In representing the nongowa chiefdom, Paramount Chief Kapuwa of Nongowa Chiefdom praised General Bangura as “a soldier who believes in development beyond the barracks.” Prominent businessman and journalist Sidie Yayah Fofanah (DJ Snow) commended the initiative and pledged continued support for the CDS’s transformative agenda.
The bakery commissioning marks one of General Bangura’s first major public engagements since his appointment by President Bio and signals a shift toward a more outward-facing, development-oriented role for the RSLAF. The project demonstrates the military’s expanding contribution to local economies and infrastructure while emphasizing oversight and accountability.
The event concluded with unveiling of the bakery’s plaque, and prayers – marking another milestone in the RSLAF’s evolving contribution to national development.
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