New British High Commissioner To Sierra Leone, Dr. John Mitchiner, Presents Credentials To His Excellency The President, Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah

On Friday 22 August 2003 the newly accredited High Commissioner of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Government to Sierra Leone, Dr. John Mitchiner, presented his letters of credence and the letter of recall of his predecessor to His Excellency Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah.

At a ceremony held at the Presidential Lodge attended by Cabinet Ministers, senior Government Officials and members of the British High Commission in Freetown, the new High Commissioner made a statement in which he outlined the following:

"Your Excellency,

I am delighted to be here in Sierra Leone and to have the opportunity to work in such a stimulating environment and in an environment that continues to matter deeply to the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has of course a centuries-long history of involvement with Sierra Leone. May I stress at the outset that the United Kingdom is committed to a strong and active involvement here as long as you, your Government and your people want us to play a part in the restructuring of Sierra Leone. For our part we shall continue to work with you, with your Government Ministers and Ministries, with our international partners and with the people of Sierra Leone to ensure a peaceful democratic future for Sierra Leone.

Bilateral relations between Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom remain excellent. The United Kingdom's recent involvement here in Sierra Leone has, I hope you will agree, to date been a success; and the holistic approach we have taken serves as a model for others to emulate.

It will remain vital, for the continuing evolution of Sierra Leone, to press forward with post-conflict priorities such as reforming the Security Sector; bringing the Diamond Fields under the full control of the Government of Sierra Leone; tackling the scourge of corruption and developing your industry and economy.

Building up a strongly peaceful and secure environment for all the people of Sierra Leone remains a leading priority. Reform in the Security Sector is well under way and continues to form a key element in the United Kingdom's programme of support for Sierra Leone. The UK-led International Military Advisory Training Team is working to build the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces into an effective, professional and democratically accountable force.

The Sierra Leone Police are a vital player in these reforms. It will be the responsibility of the SLP to ensure that they continue to improve safety and security for all, and that they continue re-establishing themselves as an effective and accountable police service. We will continue to make our contribution to restructuring the Force through our training programmes developing the Forces' infrastructure. In preparation for the gradual withdrawal of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission (UNAMSIL), both the SLP and the RSLAF will be there to ensure a peaceful and democratic Sierra Leone thrives.

Your work to regulate and control the Diamond Sector is crucial. Apart from the much-needed revenue that this should provide for Sierra Leone, the action of your Government will serve to send a strong and positive international message that they are in control of this sector. It is clear that Sierra Leone's rich mineral resources need to become an asset for Sierra Leone's future rather than a threat to its stability.

Corruption is a problem for all nations; in Sierra Leone it was a major obstacle to development and was responsible for the collapse in government and public services before the war. Eradication of corruption will, I know, remain a high personal priority for you and your Government. Institutional development and capacity building will be dependent on everyone tackling corruption - wherever it is found. With our support and your commitment, the Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Commission will continue to grow.

Regional stability remains important to Sierra Leone's future security. Recent developments in Liberia and the arrival of the ECOMIL Stabilisation Force are encouraging; but we will all need to continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure that the process does not drift off course.

There continue to be important steps ahead; not all of these will be easy. The holding of Local Government Elections will be a challenge, but will continue where Presidential and Parliamentary elections left off-a further evidence of Sierra Leone's commitment to a strong multi-party democracy.

The beginning of the trial phase of the Sierra Leone Special Court and the culmination and recommendations of the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission are important stages in the continuing healing process for Sierra Leone and its people.

The establishment of a Poverty Reduction Strategy will be vital to ensure Sierra Leone's continued development. We are pleased that our Department for International Development has been able to ensure that you will have direct technical support in achieving this aim.

Last but very far from least, within a peaceful, stable and democratic Sierra Leone, increasing priority will need to be given to the development of the economy and the creation of job-opportunities for people-particularly the youth-throughout the country. The United Kingdom-both Government and private sector-is committed to assisting you in this vitally important task. Next month we shall have the first full United Kingdom trade mission to Sierra Leone, headed by the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. We hope that this mission will assist in generating both trade and job opportunities, and that it will be the first of many such missions during my time here.

Your Excellency, these and many more issues will undoubtedly occupy your time and mine in the coming months. I look forward to continuing the close working relationship with you, with your Ministers and Government, and indeed with all sections of Sierra Leone society. I have no doubt that my time here will be not only challenging and interesting, but also both professionally and personally rewarding.

In his reply President Tejan Kabbah "warmly welcomed the British Envoy to Sierra Leone" and made the following speech:

"Mr. High Commissioner, I am pleased to receive the letter of credence by which Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has accredited you as High Commissioner as well as the letter of recall of your predecessor.

As you take up your appointment, please allow me to convey through you, to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Head of the Commonwealth, my warmest greetings and best wishes for her well being and happiness and for the continued prosperity of the Government and people of the United Kingdom.

Relations between our two countries are deep rooted in history and tradition. It is gratifying to note that this strong link continues to flourish. Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom share similar views on such major issues as the desire for peace and stability in the world. As members of the United Nations and the Commonwealth, we are committed to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states

Mr. High Commissioner, over the years, the United Kingdom has contributed immensely towards the achievement and consolidation of the peace and stability we now enjoy in our country. The immense contribution by the Department for International Development (DFID) is a clear testimony of the United Kingdom's commitment to our national economic recovery programme. Through DFID Sierra Leone has been able to strengthen or establish new institutional structures for good governance, organize free and fair general elections, as well as chieftaincy elections. Significantly, we have set up the Anti-Corruption Commission, rehabilitated the law courts building, and built residential quarters for paramount chiefs in the provinces.

In the area of defence and military training, the United Kingdom through the International Military Advisory and Training Team (IMATT) has not only retrained our military personnel, but has also provided military equipment and logistics, which have greatly improved the operational capability of our armed forces and raised the level of our security. To this end, I wish to take this opportunity to once more express profound gratitude on behalf of my government and the people of Sierra Leone to your Government and the British people.

I note with satisfaction the expressed determination of the British government to continue to assist towards the creation of a stable security environment for Sierra Leone. I do believe that stability is the cornerstone for any meaningful economic development in our country.

Mr. High Commissioner, as our country now enjoys relative peace and stability, the climate for investment in all sectors of our economy has improved significantly. This, together with the continued firm commitment of my Government to the principles of good governance and democratic values, should make Sierra Leone an attractive destination for foreign investment.

To this end, I look forward with great anticipation to the proposed visit of a British-led trade mission to Sierra Leone to foster strategic partnerships with business interests operating in Sierra Leone. Should such a venture materialise I would like to assure you of the full cooperation of my government in ensuring that the desired objectives are achieved.

As you have rightly mentioned, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Special Court for Sierra Leone are of extreme essence at this particular time in my country's history. It is my fervent hope that the outcome of the work of these institutions will be, among other things, clearly mapping out the way forward for lasting peace in Sierra Leone.

Now that the war is over, the fight against poverty as you have rightly observed should be addressed. You will be interested to know that several initiatives have already been taken by my government with the support of the donor community. These initiatives include the establishment of micro-credit schemes, particularly for the rural poor and women. Such initiatives are based on a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy that my government has been developing and fine-tuning for quite some time now. We expect to have a final Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper that will be acceptable to the donor community within the shortest possible time.

Again as you pointed out, the youth problem is a major challenge facing our government. My administration is currently developing a National Youth Policy so as to address this situation in a comprehensive and effective manner. It is now widely acknowledged that in most crisis areas on the globe, the youths are often manipulated to achieve the selfish motives of disruptive elements in society. It is only by providing adequate opportunities for the advancement of the youth that such manipulation is averted. Our policies are therefore guided by this experience.

Mr. High Commissioner, I appreciate your resolve to consolidate and strengthen the existing cordial relations between our two countries and peoples. As I welcome you to Sierra Leone, let me assure you of my fullest cooperation and that of the government and people of Sierra Leone.

I thank you"
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