Alfred Palo Conteh

Who is Alfred Palo Conteh?

Alfred Paolo Conteh is a retired Major in the Sierra Leone Armed Forces who has been Defense Minister of Sierra Leone since October 2007. He was appointed by President Ernest Bai Koroma and was later confirmed by parliament. Conteh is the nephew of former President Joseph Saidu Momoh.

Conteh is a keen sprinter and sportman. He was Sierra Leone's 400m record holder in 1982; and its record remains unbroken since. He plays football, volleyball, handball, squash and tennis.

Born and raised in Freetown, to parents from the Limba ethnic group, Conteh enrolled in the Sierra Leone Army as a cadet officer in 1976. In 1981, Conteh became one of the commanding officers of the Sierra Leone Military Police unit, a branch of the Sierra Leone Army.

Conteh went to law school in the United Kingdom. He obtained the Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of London LLB in 1990. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1992. He also obtained a Master of Laws from the Holborn School of Law in the United Kingdom.