Know Your New Commander Joint Force

Major -General Mamadi M. Keita (in photo) was born in Musaia Town, Folosaba-Dembella Chiefdom, Koinadugu District on 17^th January, 1964. He had his early education at the police Primary School and later at the Albert Academy, Freetown, where he sat the GEC, O, and A Level. He was awarded Diploma in the Public Administration at the Ghana Institute of management and Public Administration (GIMPA) with distinction, Diploma in Policy and Management at the Tsinghua University – People Republic of Chain (PRC), and Diploma in Defence and Strategic Studies at the National Defence University (NDU)-PRC.

Major- General 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 December 1993 to April 1995,
Commanding Officer (CO) 6 Infantry Battalion, Tongo Field, from April 1995 to February 1996,
CO 2^ndInfantry Battalion, Makeni , from February to June 1997,
CO Lungi Garrison, from June to July 1997,
Brigade Major Headquarters (HQ) 4 Infantry Brigade, Bo, from August 1997 to December 1997,
CO 38 Infantry Battalion, Koribondo, from December 1997 to February 1998 ,
CO 10 Infantry Battalion, Port Loko, from June 2000 to December to December 2000,
Second –In-Command (21C) 12 Infantry Battalion, Kabala, from January 2001 to January 2002,
Chief of Staff (COS) HQ Freetown Garrison (FTG), Wilberforce Barracks, Freetown, from January 2001-Febuary 2002,
Second –In- Command 14 Infantry Battalion, Jendema, Pujegun District, from February 2002 to November 2003,
Staff Officer Grade 2 (SO2) provost/Operations/ Custodian,
Joint provost Unit JPU, from November 2003 to August 2004,
Military Assistant (MA) to the Deputy Minister of Defence, Ministry of Defence, from August 2004 to May 2006,
Provost Marshall (PM) RSLAF and CO JPU,from May 2006 to October 2008,
Commander 3 Infantry Brigade, Murry Town Barracks, Freetown, from October 2008 to August 2010,
Director Defence Training, Education and Recruitment (DDTER) Ministry of Defense, from August 2011 to October 2012,
The first Sierra Leone officer to serve as Chief Training Officer (CTO) at the Africa Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Force Headquarters, and also doubled as National Contingent Commander (NCC) for all RSLAF troops in Somalia from 14 October 2012 to 4 July 0213,

He was recalled home on 4^th July 2013 after being promoted to Brigadier-General and appointed as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff for Operations and plans (ACDS Ops and plans) at the Ministry of Defence in June 2013. During this period, Major General Keita’s devotion to duty and his determination were instrumental in the success of mission-Operation OCTOPUS to provide support to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation in the fight against Ebola Virus Disease.

Major General M. Keita has attended several courses including:

Progressive Qualification Scheme (PQS) level 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 2014,
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 colors,
Defense 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 Republic of Chain PRC from September 2010to July 2011 and was awarded “fellow of the National Defence University” (fndu).

He also attended the UN Mandatory Corse in Mogadishu in January 2013 whilst on development at the AMISOM FHQ as CTO. He also attended several seminars and workshops including:

The Centre for Civil-Military Relationship Naval postgraduate School, Moterey, 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 Force Management held in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 2005,
Africa Partnership Station Seminar held in New York, United States of America in July 2009,
Africa Partnership Station Seminar held in Dakar, Senegal in September 2009, and Headquarters, United States Africa Command, Inspector General Course held in Freetown, Sierra Leone in November 2009.
Major General 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 (Course36), JDCSC, Kaduna, Nigeria in 1993,
Medal for Gallantry (GM) Honour (Operations) in1993 for his invaluable sacrifice in containing the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels in Eastern Sierra Leone ,
50^th Independence Anniversary Medal in 2011, and
Medal for the invaluable contribution to the restoration of peace and stability in Somalia on the 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.

Major General MM Keita is married and the relationship is blessed with beautiful children.

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