Deputy National Security Coordinator

Dr. Ahmed A. Sannoh has now served for twenty (20) years in the Office of National Security. He was amongst the first batch that successfully underwent a very rigorous recruitment process into the Office of National Security in 2001, after having briefly served as an Administrative Officer (cadet) in the Civil Service of Sierra Leone.

He has acted as National Security Coordinator on a number of occasions between 2015 and 2019. He has over 15 years of university teaching and research experience at Fourah Bay College (USL), University of Liberia and currently Njala University as an Associate Lecturer.

Academically, Dr. Sannoh holds a BA and MA degrees in English and Linguistics, and a PhD in Peace and Development Studies.

Professionally, pursued advanced courses in national and international security issues; governance and human security in Africa; managing defence in the wider security context; strategic planning and policy development; defence resource management etc. at reputable international academic and professional institutions including the International Centre for National Security Studies (ICNSS) at Galilee College, Israel; College of Management and Technology at Cranfield University, United Kingdom; Resource Management Institute, Naval Postgraduate School, California, United States of America; Institute for Security Studies’ African Centre for Peace and Security Training (ACPST), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and the Kofi Anan Peace Keeping and Training Centre, Ghana. He has also benefited from expert and think-tank reflections on key international security issues under the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in the United States of America.

Dr. Sannoh has a special interest in security threat analyses, conflict management and post-conflict peacebuilding and stabilization; excellent writing and editing skills; experience in managing and leading inter-agency coordination; experience in providing expert advice and guidance to a senior official; has experience in providing strategic leadership for institutional reform processes, good governance and efficient service delivery.

Dr. Sannoh has worked at the highest levels of government, closely collaborating with heads of various intelligence, police and military organizations including officials from the UK, USA and other security and development partners, in some cases providing leadership for various aspects of governance and security-related reforms.

He has played a key role in the development of a number of security sector policy documents and has, in particular, led the process of reviewing the Military Aid to the Civil Authority, which is a high-level policy direction for military assistance to the civil power.

As Chairman of the National Security Exercise Writing and Planning Team (NSX-WPT), Dr. Sannoh has coordinated the successful conduct of eight (8) national security exercises, mainly targeting platinum and gold levels between 2005 and 2019.

In the early phase of the post-conflict peacebuilding efforts in 2003, when relations between the police and the military in Sierra Leone were strained, Dr. Sannoh led the multi-stakeholder Joint Survey Team (JST) commissioned by the National Security Council (NSC) to look into the status of the relationship between the two forces. The JST recommendations produced resulted in a harmonious working relationship between these two national security forces, which status quo is largely maintained up to date.

Dr. Sannoh has participated and represented Sierra Leone in a number of high profiled international conferences key amongst which include:

1. Participation in a Case Studies Workshop in 2009 at King’s College, London on Power after Peace – The Political Economy of Post-conflict State Building in Iraq, Sudan, Kosovo, Burundi and Sierra Leone
2. Appointed (with the power of attorney) as Leader of the Government of Sierra Leone Delegation to the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan in 2015, and presented the Country Report.
3. Member of various reputable international security sector networks and alumni, including the prestigious African Security Sector Network (ASSN); Stratford Global Intelligence Network, Texas; International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) on International Security Issues of the United States of America.

Dr. Sannoh was appointed by His Excellency Brig. Gen. (Rtd.) Dr. Julius Maada Bio (President of Sierra Leone) in 2019 as Member of the Advisory Committee, Sierra Leone National Commission for Small Arms (SLeNCSA).