Brigadier General Abu Bakarr Conteh (SL-553) – RSLAF
ACDS - Gender and Equal Opportunities at the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

BACKGROUND
Brigadier General Abu Bakarr Conteh was born on Sunday 27 December 1970 at No 6 Fly Street Freetown. His parent hailed from Kathadumgbu-Kadala Village, Kayonkro Section, Biriwa Chiefdom, Bombali District, Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The village is located 18 miles from the Chiefdom headquarter town of Kamabai. He is a Limba by tribe.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Brigadier General Abu Bakarr Conteh attended the Mordern Day Primary School and Wellington Municipal Primary School in Freetown from 1973 to 1980. He went through his secondary education at the Bishop Johnson Memorial Secondary School and Methodist Boys High School all in Freetown from 1983 to 1988. He holds a degree in Bachelor of Science Development and Economics from the Institute of Advance Management and Technology (Accredited Institution of Njala University Sierra Leone). He also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Defence and Conflict Studies from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and a Certificate in Public Procurement Management at the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) (University of Sierra Leone). Brigadier General AB Conteh awaits results in Master’s in Public Administration and Management at the African Graduate University – Sierra Leone Campus (Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and Universities - UK). He was enrolled into the RSLAF first as an enlisted soldier in December 1990 and after 2 years he went through the officer cadet training and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 10 October 1992 at the Armed Forces Training Centre, Benguema Military Barracks.

MILITARY TRAINING ATTENDED
Brigadier General Abu Bakarr Conteh has attended various military courses befitting his current rank. Some of the major courses at various ranks are 1) Platoon Commander Battle Course at Hasting Training Camp in 1999, 2) Ordnance Storage and Management Course at Ordnance Engineering College in China in 2002, 3) International Logistics Officers Course in the School of Logistics UK in 2003, 4) Junior Staff Course One at Horton Academy Freetown in 2003, 5) Junior Division Staff Course No 57/04 at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College – Jaji Nigeria in 2004, 6) Mobile International Defence Management Course at Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California in 2006, 7) UN Officers Logistics Course at Kofi Anan International Peacekeeping College Accra Ghana 2007, 8) Operational Law and Peace Operations Course held in Freetown by US Defence Institute of International Legal Studies in 2008, 9) Senior Command and Staff Course in Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) in 2011, 10) Exclusive Economic Zone Management and Operations Course in GAFCSC 2011, 11) Defence Management Course with Cranfield UK University’s Department of Applied Science, Security & Resilience in Ghana 2011, 12) Conflict and Crisis Management Course in Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (University of Ghana) in 2011, 13) Strategic Defence Studies and Masters of Military Science Strategic Studies at the National Defence University, People’s Republic of China in 2017.

MILITARY APPOINTMENTS HELD
Brigadier General Abu Bakarr Conteh has held various appointments in the RSLAF ranging from Platoon Commander, Adjutant, Quartermaster, Company Commander, Staff Officer Grade-3 operations, Staff Officer Grade-3 J4 Combat Supplies, Staff Officer Grade-2 J4 Combat Supplies, Second-in-Command of the Joint Logistics Unit, Commanding Officer of the Joint Logistics Units (the second RSLAF officer to hold that appointment), Chief J4 of the Headquarters Joint Force Command (the first RSLAF officer to hold that appointment), Commanding Officer 1st Battalion Daru, Commanding Officer Sierra Leone Battalion One (LEOBATT 1) deployed on Peace Enforcement Operations in Somalia (One of the world most dangerous place) for 22 Months, Director of Defence Training Education and Recruitment at the MOD, Director of Defence Peacekeeping Operations at MOD, Commander of the 4 Infantry Brigade Makeni, In all of the mentioned appointments Brigadier General Abu Bakarr Conteh performed outstandingly to the approbation of his superiors and more importantly his juniors and equals who trusted him to provide the direction and structure necessary for them to perform well in their roles. Brigadier General Abu Bakarr Conteh is currently serving as the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff in charge of Gender and Equal Opportunities at the MOD.

NATIONAL AWARDS
Brigadier General Abu Bakarr Conteh was awarded the African Mission in Somalia (AMISIOM) Medal of Excellence for his invaluable contribution to the restoration of peace and stability in Somalia as a member of AMISOM Military Component.  Additionally, he was awarded the Presidential Award for Meritorious and Dedicated Service to Colours and the country during the Armed Forces Day Celebrations in February 2017.

FAMILY
He is married to Haja Agatha Conteh and they are blessed with 5 children (2 girls and 3 boys).

HOBBIES
His hobbies include watching football, jugging, site-seeing and reading.

In his 28 years in service (1990 -2018), Brigadier General Abu Bakarr Conteh has built up an impressive portfolio of leadership and team-building. This has made him fully charge to transfer his experience of initiatives into a senior management role of strategic planning, administration and operations in the interest of the RSLAF.