US Ambassador Peter Chaveas Bids Farewell

The US Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Peter Chaveas, took formal leave of the President Alhaji Dr Ahmad Tejan Kabbah at the Hill Station PresidentiaL Lodge.

Ambassador Chaveas said he was leaving with mixed feelings but was happy that peace and stability have been restored to Sierra Leone. He said he was particularly pleased that the President was always "available and open" for discussions with him and members of his mission.

He said the issue of HIV/AIDS would continue to be his personal crusade saying when he came to this country, his mission took the lead in the campaign but was pleased that this had changed and that Sierra Leoneans have taken the lead in the fight against HIV/AIDS. He praised President Kabbah for his personal leadership and involvement in the campaign, pointing out that political leadership is critical in tackling the problem of HIV/AIDS.

Ambassador Chaveas also thanked President Kabbah for participating in the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new embassy, which he described as a symbol of their commitment to this country. He said when he came to this country about three years ago, he was quick to find out the security deficiencies in the embassy's present location and said he was proud to be leaving at a time when the US government "is taking a big step forward in its commitment to Sierra Leone" by constructing a new embassy in Freetown.

He said during his tenure his greatest challenge had been to get Washington to know that in order to have the benefits of its commitment in this country its must continue its involvement. Ambassador Chaveas said he was happy to have been able to successfully put a case to the US government that Sierra Leone was an important partner. He stated that his successor would also be faced with the same problem and expressed the hope that the government and the people of Sierra Leone would provide the concrete evidence, which he could use in putting across his case that Sierra Leone is an important partner.

But he pointed out that corruption is the most critical issue of concern to the US government, saying there must be real and concrete show of progress in tackling it. He added that even though government may have tried to identify the problems and may be finding ways of addressing them, all that the donors want to know is how much progress has been achieved.

The ambassador informed the President that US President George Bush had issued a proclamation that henceforth any individual, proven to have been involved in corruption, would be ineligible for US visas. He said the names of those found culpable are being collated together with their families. He said the decision was because the US government does not want the US to be used as a safe haven for people who plunder their countries' resources.

President Kabbah said the ambassador came at a difficult time in the country's history, but was going at a time when there was peace. The ambassador, he said, witnessed two major elections, the general elections held in 2002 and the local government elections held last weekend, saying he was particularly pleased that both were held in a peaceful atmosphere. He recalled that in the past, elections in Sierra Leone were characterised by violence, with people being killed or kidnapped on nomination day, and commended the ambassador for the role played by his government in supporting the rebirth of democracy.

The President also commended the ambassador for his involvement in the fight against AIDS in this country by targeting one of the most vulnerable groups, the military.
He said the ambassador was able to sensitise him personally and also got the US government to provide funding to address the potential problem before it worsened, adding that without such interventions the HIV/AIDS the situation in the country would have been grave. He expressed the hope that in his briefing, the ambassador would convey to his successor the importance government attaches to the issue and the desire for this support to continue. He also praised ambassador Chaveas for his role in the reconstruction of the Koidu and Kailahum government hospitals.

On corruption, President Kabbah spoke of the importance government attaches to the fight against it, to the extent of declaring it a security problem. To further show its commitment to the issue he said, government solicited the support of the British government to set up the Anti Corruption Commission and strengthen the judiciary by providing judges in order to speed up corruption cases. He said that government also solicited the support of the British government for the provision of experts to enhance the capacity of the anti-corruption commission and commended the ambassador for helping with sensitisation, noting that before now, it was a taboo to talk about corruption publicly in this country.

While he welcomed the proclamation of President George Bush on corruption as a good move, which would hopefully serve as a deterrent, President Kabbah pointed out that corruption is a two-way traffic. He said the proclamation only seems to target the 'takers' and that the 'givers' must also be targeted in order for corruption to be comprehensively addressed. "We should approach it from both sides", he stressed.

Government, he said, is working on identifying areas where there may be opportunities for people to be corrupt (such as the procurement process) and to close such gaps, adding that plans are underway to enact laws to tighten these loop holes. He said whatever the US government could do to augment government's effort in addressing this problem would be appreciated and looked forward to working with the new ambassador.

He used the French word "au revoir" to bid farewell to the ambassador, saying it was difficult for him to use the English word good-bye. "We regard you as part of us and you are free to return at any time", he told the ambassador.

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