United States Gets New Embassy Complex In Freetown

The President, Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, together with United States Ambassador to Sierra Leone Peter Chaveas and Director for Overseas Building Operations of the US Department of State, General Charles Williams, performed on Friday 21 May 2004 the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new embassy complex in Freetown.

The fifty million dollar embassy complex is to be constructed at the foot of Leicester Peak with a target completion timeframe of twenty-four months in April 2006.

President Kabbah flanked by US Ambassador Peter Chaveas and General Charles Williams	The President making his address

US Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Peter Chaveas, said the event was a major step taken by the US Government to demonstrate its confidence in the future of Sierra Leone and in the sub-region. "We need to have the appropriate facilities in which to do business over the long term," Ambassador Chaveas said. He expressed thanks and appreciation to President Kabbah noting that "the keen personal interest he demonstrated in this project from its inception was of paramount importance".

The Ambassador went on to thank many senior members of government for their immense cooperation, "but you Mr President " he said, "set the tone". He made praise-worthy comments about General Charles Williams of the US department of State for recognising the importance of improving what he called "critical deficiencies in their infrastructure and delivered the resources, planning and support without which this day would never have been a reality".

He said over the years the US embassy in Freetown suffered from serious security deficiencies and that due to the current difficult global security environment, compounded by the vulnerability inherent in its current location, there was compelling need to move to a new site.

President Kabbah with Ambassador Chaveas and General Williams	An architect's impression of the completed complex

Therefore the question of the continued closure of the consular section of the US embassy in Freetown, would not be answered, until in his words " we could resolve the security vulnerability of the quarters in which we would be working, the quarters in which visa services and a full range of other services would eventually have to be housed". By this groundbreaking ceremony Ambassador Chaveas said the embassy had taken a tremendous step towards achieving that goal.

However, he was quick to point out that the construction of the new facility was much more than the issuance of visas. It is he said, more about the United States saying "We have confidence in the future of Sierra Leone and we need the best possible facilities in which to do our business over the long term".

Retired Major-General Charles Williams on the podium	Ambassador Peter Chaveas making his Statement

In his statement Director of Overseas Building Operations for the US department of State,General Charles Williams, said the event symbolised the importance they accord to the relationship between the United States and Sierra Leone. He recalled that during his first visit to this country fourteen months ago, he took a helicopter tour of the site and confirmed that indeed it was ideal for the construction of the embassy.

He paid tribute to US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, whose office made it possible for them to take up the challenge of constructing new embassies world wide with a view to improving on critical deficiencies in their infrastructure.

According to Mr Williams, the fifty million dollar embassy complex which would be built on the twenty acres of land provided by the Government of Sierra Leone on a lease basis for one hundred and ninety-eight years, would house apart from the chancery and consular section, other US agencies like USAID.

Groundbreaking by President Kabbah, US Ambassador, General Williams and Project Director Brian McKinnon	Groundbreaking at new embassy site

He said through the project the US would be making a significant financial investment in Sierra Leone, adding that a total of eighteen million dollars would be injected directly into the economy through procurement of materials (with emphasis on locally produced materials) and salaries for local workers, four hundred of whom are to be employed over a period of six months.

President Kabbah said the groundbreaking ceremony underscored the excellent bilateral relationship between the Governments of the United States and Sierra Leone, and a clear manifestation of the level of confidence that the Government of the United States has in the future of Sierra Leone.

"It is an indication of the desire by both Governments that the cordial relationship between our two Governments and peoples should be nurtured and sustained for an indefinite length of time", the president stated.

He spoke of the historic ties between the two countries, both of which emerged to nationhood from a similar colonial past, sharing the same English Language, the same aspirations to maintain peace and promote democratic values and human rights.

President Kabbah takes a glance at contruction information	British High Commissioner Dr. Mitchiner and other invited guests

And when those values became threatened by the conflict in Sierra Leone, the United States, the President stated, wasted no time in providing material and diplomatic support to have them restored. He expressed gratitude to the US government and to Ambassador Chaveas for the role he personally played in this effort.

The embassy complex, when completed, President Kabbah said, shall serve as a lasting monument to the excellent ties between the Governments and peoples of the United States and Sierra Leone, and would also be a centre where the Government of the United States would operate within Sierra Leone and interact with the Government of Sierra Leone.

He said it would also provide a convenient meeting point between the citizens of Sierra Leone and officials of the United States Government. "This is of particular importance as personal contact between the peoples of our two countries is pivotal to the nurturing and further strengthening of the cordial relationship which now exists between us", the President said, adding that through this process the peoples of the two countries would come to know and appreciate each other's values and cultures better.

It is for this reason, he said that Sierra Leoneans further welcomed the construction of this complex as a permanent home for the American Embassy in Freetown, and as a place where Sierra Leoneans would go to have a first-hand knowledge of the American culture. President Kabbah added that by constructing this complex in Freetown, the United States Government is sending a clear message that it was prepared to stand by the Government and people of Sierra Leone at all times to ensure that the peace which they and other friends and partners had helped to achieve, would be sustained and consolidated.

He expressed the hope that this manifestation of confidence would attract the much-needed foreign direct investment to boost the economy of Sierra Leone.

President Kabbah used the occasion to outline the difficulties Sierra Leoneans faced in travelling to Guinea, La Cote D'Ivoire and even beyond in order to obtain visas to travel to the United States, pointing out that most Sierra Leoneans had thought that with the end of the war consular services, including the issuing of visas, would be resumed by the American Embassy in Freetown. Some two years after the end of the war, the President noted, this has not happened resulting in a number of Sierra Leoneans raising questions regarding the delay in their receiving these services in Freetown.

He said while he may personally be aware that the constraints relating to the issuing of visas by the Embassy in Freetown are not unconnected with the general constraints relating to the present location of the Embassy, it may well be that one way to address this anxiety is by speeding up the completion of the facility.

He said government was familiar with situations where threat to life and property poses serious challenges, and has always regarded it as part of its responsibility to eliminate all such threats. That was why he said government was too pleased to provide a suitable location that meets the requirements of the United States Government for the construction of an embassy compound.

"The serene surroundings here at the foot of Leicester Peak with its beautiful greenery and vegetation, in my view, provides an ideal location for work and reflection by the US embassy staff who will be working here when this compound will have been completed," the President said.

He congratulated the US Embassy for commencing development on the land so soon after its acquisition adding that by providing this piece of land the Government and people of Sierra Leone have demonstrated their abiding commitment to further strengthen the friendly relationship between the two Governments and their Peoples.

The President also used the occasion to comment on the conduct of some members of the Press. He said, generally there is a tendency for press reports in this country to impute motives which were not intended by their authors. He said a case in point was the recent congressional hearings for the designated successor to the outgoing US ambassador, during which he made objective comments on government policies and offered to help. However, the President stated, this was reported here as a criticism of government. He therefore advised that if at all he comes across such reports he should ignore them.

"We as Government have developed a practice of ignoring this type of reporting, in the hope that as we develop our democracy and the importance of professional journalism is appreciated, there will be a shift from this kind of reporting" the president said.

Government he added would continue to build a democratic culture and promote human rights, including freedom of expression and leave the population to discern "what is true and what is false or inaccurate".

The lead contractor for this state-of the art facility is Caddell Construction, with Sierra Construction System as local sub-contractor. When complete, the new embassy is designed to allow a full range of diplomatic and consular services, with other facilities like workshop, recreation grounds, utility building and three access points.

The Director of Overseas Buildings Operations, Retired General Charles Williams, together with Ambassador Peter Chaveas, earlier paid a courtesy call on President Kabbah at the Presidential Lodge. They were accompanied by the project director, Brian McKinnon.