Sierra Leonean Officer Makes History as ECOWAS Standby Force Chief of Staff
Brigadier General Sheik Sulaiman Massaquoi has made history as the first Sierra Leonean appointed Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Standby Force, a critical pillar of West Africa’s regional security architecture.
The appointment underscores Sierra Leone’s growing profile in multilateral peacekeeping and conflict management within ECOWAS. As Chief of Staff, Brig. Gen. Massaquoi is responsible for operational planning, logistics, and coordination of the brigade-level Standby Force, which is designed for rapid deployment in response to coups, insurgencies, and humanitarian emergencies.
Established in 2004 under the ECOWAS Protocol on Conflict Prevention, the Standby Force has supported stabilization efforts in countries including Mali and Guinea-Bissau.
A member of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces since 1994, Brig. Massaquoi has risen through the ranks with distinction, serving in senior command, intelligence, logistics, and strategic planning roles. He currently serves as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff for Logistics and Equipment Support, where he has played a key role in the modernisation of the RSLAF.
His career is reinforced by extensive international military and academic training in Ghana, the United States, Bangladesh, and Kenya, as well as at Fourah Bay College. He has also served with the United Nations Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), gaining valuable experience in multinational peace operations.
Brig. Gen. Massaquoi’s appointment comes at a challenging moment for ECOWAS, amid political instability and shifting regional alignments. It stands both as recognition of nearly three decades of distinguished service and as a powerful symbol of Sierra Leone’s commitment to regional peace, collective security, and responsible leadership in West Africa.
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