On the occasion of the 17th Armed Forces Day of the Republic of Sierra Leone, His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio delivered a keynote address at the Julius Maada Bio Parade Square, Wilberforce Barracks, announcing a 25% salary increase for the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) and launching the country’s new National Defence Policy and Strategy.

The address marked the formal dedication of the parade square to President Bio — the first Sierra Leonean born after independence to serve as Head of State, in both his military and democratic capacities.

The salary increase was welcomed by RSLAF leadership as a recognition of the professionalism and sacrifice of Sierra Leone’s military, and the National Defence Policy was described by the President as a forward-looking framework for a military that protects democracy, not supplants it