Speeches of Former Amb. Chaveas

Presentation of Letter of Credence

OCTOBER 12, 2001

REMARKS BY AMBASSADOR PETER R CHAVEAS UPON PRESENTATION OF LETTER OF CREDENCE TO H.E. ALHADJI DR. AHMED TEJAN KABBAH, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE

It is my great honor to present to Your Excellency Alhadji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, the Letter of Credence by which President George W. Bush has appointed me Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Sierra Leone as well as the letter of recall of my predecessor, the Honorable Joseph H. Melrose, Jr.

Mr. President, during your recent visit to the United States, before the convocation of Southern Connecticut State University, you bore witness to the anguish of the American people and condemned “the despicable acts of terror” which were perpetrated on September 11. Please accept my sincere gratitude for your message of sympathy and solidarity conveyed then and earlier in your message to President Bush. The outpouring of support from throughout the world has strengthened our resolve to recover and, in President Bush’s words, “to meet violence with patient justice.” I am confident that we can continue to depend on the support of Sierra Leone for the international effort to defeat terrorism and those who give it sanctuary.

I am acutely aware that I assume my new duties at a critical juncture in the history of Sierra Leone. The horrors of the past decade have resulted in the deaths of thousands, the displacement and brutalization of many more, and the utter ruin of an already debilitated economy. Much of the responsibility for this devastation lies beyond Sierra Leone’s borders but too much of it is on the heads and hands of this country’s own citizens. Fortunately, the developments of recent months offer hope that Sierra Leoneans are prepared to move away from violence, to seek peaceful political means of settling their differences and to begin the arduous process of remaking their country. We all look forward to the day when we can say that Sierra Leone is truly at peace, the Government of Sierra Leone has reestablished full control over its sovereign territory and that government services are being provided to all citizens throughout the country.

The United States is proud to be a part of the international community’s very substantial investment in reestablishing peace, stability and democracy in Sierra Leone and the region. We are particularly appreciative of the commitment demonstrated by our valued ally, the United Kingdom and we commend the achievements of UNAMSIL. We will sustain our commitment in partnership with other donors and in response to the demonstrated commitment of the Government and people of Sierra Leone. Among the elements of our commitment is a firm belief that the DDR process must be brought to a timely and successful conclusion and preparations for national elections should proceed. The Special Court for Sierra Leone must begin its critical work as soon as possible so that those who bear the greatest responsibility for the recent horrors perpetrated upon this country may be indicted, fairly judged and appropriately punished. Other combatants must be reintegrated into their communities and the difficult task of national reconciliation must commence. All those who reject violence and accept that change must come through peaceful means should be given the opportunity to participate fully in the political process and most particularly in the up-coming national elections. It is only is this manner that the Government of Sierra Leone can achieve the credibility which comes from a mandate obtained from the participation of all of its citizens.

Whatever hope we may derive from the progress of recent months and the prospect of a renewed political process, the future will depend heavily on the ability of Sierra Leone to reinvigorate its economy and to provide real opportunities for all citizens to better their living conditions. Foreign investment, including American investment, has an important role to play. The end of violence will contribute towards expanding the possibilities for American investors to play this role but the end of violence is not sufficient. Sierra Leone must be prepared to compete for investment. ompeting includes demonstrating that business in Sierra Leone is conducted according to the rule of law and that corruption is not part of business as usual. Rather, it must be seen that business is conducted on a level playing field where the quality of one's product is not secondary to the quality of one's personal and political connections. The creation of the Anti-Corruption Commission is an important step in this regard and I congratulate you, Mr. President, for your strong support for the independence of this institution.

Hanging over all of Sierra Leone’s efforts and those of the international community is the scourge of HIV/AIDS. Already, too many Sierra Leoneans are the victims of this plague, directly or as widows, widowers or orphans. The restoration of peace ironically and tragically creates conditions for rapid spread of the disease as travel and commerce are restored. The time for action is now, before Sierra Leone is devastated in the manner of too many of its African neighbors, including some which, like Sierra Leone, are addressing the challenge of post conflict situations. Without aggressive action, we can be sure that Sierra Leone will be visited by new tragedy, potentially more catastrophic than that it already has experienced. Medical science obviously has a role to play but HIV/AIDS is much more than a medical crisis. It is a societal crisis, which is all encompassing and which can only be addressed if leaders of all elements of society join to attack it. I congratulate you, Mr. President, on your recent efforts to raise public awareness of this deadly threat. I trust that others will follow your outstanding example and that frank and open discussion, however difficult, will become the rule rather than the exception. An informed public is the strongest weapon available in this fight.