DEPUTY CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF OF THE
REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE ARMED FORCES...
Maj. General MM Keita (SL-) – RSLAF
deputy Chief of Defence Staff of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces
Major. General (Maj.-Gen) MM Keita was born in Musaia Town, Folosaba-Dembella Chiefdom, Koinadugu District on
17 January 1964. He had his early education at the Police Primary School and later at the Albert Academy, Freetown, where he sat the GCE, O, and A. Levels.
He was awarded Dip in Public Administration at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) with distinction, Diploma in Policy and
Management at the Tsinghua University-People’s Republic of China (PRC), and Diploma in Defence and Strategic Studies at the National Defence University (NDU) - PRC.
Maj.Gen MM Keita was commissioned into the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) on 30 October 1987 at the then Benguema Training Centre (BTC), now Armed Forces
Training Centre (AFTC), near Waterloo, Western Area. He has held several command and staff appointments including Officer Commanding (OC) The Sierra Leone Military Police
(SLMP) in 1992; Military Assistant (MA) to the Chief of Army Staff (MA to COAS), from Dec 1993 to April 1995; Commanding Officer (CO) 6 Infantry Battalion, Tongo Field,
from April 1995 to Feb 1996; CO 2nd Infantry Battalion, Makeni, from Feb 1996 to Jun 1997; CO Lungi Garrison, from Jun to Jul 1997; Brigade Major Headquarters (Hq)
4 Infantry Brigade, Bo, from Aug 1997 to Dec 1997; CO 38 Infantry Battalion, Koribondo, from Dec 1997 to Feb 1998; CO 10 Infantry Battalion, Port Loko, from Jun 2000 to Dec 2000;
Second – In – Command (2IC) 12 Infantry Battalion, Kabala, from Jan 2001 to Jan 2002; Chief of Staff (COS) Hq Freetown Garrison (FTG), Wilberforce Barracks, Freetown, from Jan 2001 – Feb 2002;
Second – In – Command 14 Infantry Battalion, Jendema, Pujehun District, from Feb 2002 to Nov 2003; Staff Officer Grade 2 (SO2) Provost/Operations/Custodian, Joint Provost Unit (JPU), from
Nov 2003 to Aug 2004; Military Assistant (MA) to the Deputy Minister of Defence, Ministry Of Defence, from Aug 2004 to May 2006; Provost Marshall (PM) RSLAF and CO JPU, from May 2006 to Oct 2008;
Commander 3 Infantry Brigade, Murray Town Barracks, Freetown, from Oct 2008 to Aug 2010; Director Defence Training, Education and Recruitment (DDTER) Ministry of Defence, from Aug 2011 to Oct 2012;
he was the first Sierra Leone officer to serve as Chief Training Officer (CTO) at the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Force Headquarters, and also doubled as National Contingent Commander (NCC)
for all RSLAF troops in Somalia from 14 Oct 12 to 4 Jul 13; he was recalled home on 4 Jul 13 after being promoted to Brigadier-General and appointed as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff for Operations and Plans
(ACDS Ops & Plans) at the Ministry of Defence in Jun 2013.
Maj. Gen Mamadi M Keita has attended several courses including: Progressive Qualification Scheme (PQS) Levels 1 & 2 in 1988/1989; Junior Command and Staff Course (JDSC) in Jaji-Kaduna, Nigeria, from June 1993 to December 1993
and was awarded ‘Pass Junior Staff Course (pjsc); Staff Harmonization Course at the Horton Academy, Freetown in 2004; Disarmament, Demobilization and Re-Integration (DDR) Course at Kofi Annan Institute of Peace Keeping Training
Centre KAIPKTC, Teshie, Ghana in December 2004; Advance Command and Staff Course (ACSC) at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC), Teshie, Ghana from September 2006 to August 2007 and was awarded ‘Pass Staff
Course (psc) with flying colours; Defence Management Course at GAFCSC, Teshie, Ghana in 2007; International Peace Support Operation Course (IPSO) at KAIPKTC, Teshie, Ghana from June 2006 to July 2007; Defence and Strategic Course
(War College) at the National Defence University (NDU) in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from September 2010 to July 2011 and was awarded Fellow of the National Defence University’ (fndu). He also attended the UN Mandatory Course
in Mogadishu in January 2013 whilst on deployment at the AMISOM FHQ as CTO. He also attended several seminars and workshops including: the Centre for Civil-military Relationship Naval postgraduate School, Monterey, California, Seminar on
Civil-Military Relationship held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from 7 to 11 June 2004; United States Defence Institute of International Legal Studies Executive Seminar on Quality Forces management held in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 2005; African
Partnership Station Seminar held in New York, United States of America in July 2009; African Partnership Station Seminar held in Dakar, Senegal in September 2009; and Headquarters, United States African Command, Inspector General Course held
Freetown, Sierra Leone in November 2009.
Maj. Gen Mamadi M Keita has won several honours and awards including: Economic Community of West Africa States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Medal for Restoring Peace and Stability in the Republic of Liberia in 1991; Best Foreign Student ( Course 36),
JDCSC, Kaduna, Nigeria in 1993; Medal for Gallantry (GM) Honour (Operations) in 1993 for his invaluable sacrifice in containing the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels in Eastern Sierra Leone; 50th Independence Anniversary Medal in 2011;
and Medal for the invaluable contribution to the restoration of peace and stability in Somalia on 4 July 2013. He is one of the few RSLAF officers that have participated in major international operations amongst them are; ECOMOG Peace Enforcement
Operation in Liberia from 1990 to 1991; Election Observation Mission, Togo Legislative Election in 2007, from 28 September 2007 to 20 October 2007; and AMISOM Peace Enforcement Operation in Somalia from 14 October 2012 to 4 July 2003.
He is a keen sportsman and has the nicknamed ‘Tigana’ for his past foot balling prowess. Maj. Gen MM Keita is married and the relationship is blessed with beautiful children.
