Ambassador's Speeches

Defense Threat Reduction Agency Seminar (17 Feb 09)

Honorable Minister of Defense,
Members of the RSLAF,

Ladies and gentlemen, I am truly pleased to welcome you all to this seminar, held in conjunction with the United States Embassy’s Defense Attaché Office and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) Small Arms and Light Weapons Program (SALW).  We have been working toward this day for one full year.

This program demonstrates the ongoing United States commitment to the safety and security of the people of Sierra Leone.  Stockpiles of small arms and light weapons play an important role in the defense of the nation, and must be managed with the utmost care and responsibility.  When those weapons or ammunition are no longer needed,  it is crucial to dispose of them properly so they no longer present a threat to the very people they were meant to protect.  The DTRA program can reduce these risks by helping Sierra Leone improve management controls over old, obsolete weapons and ammunition.

This program has three goals:
1.    reduce the possibility of illicit weapons proliferation,
2.    improve defense capabilities and readiness, and
3.    reduce the potential of accidental explosions at munitions depots.

We in the international community, the wider world, benefit by reducing the threat from excess weapons and unstable ammunition, which can flow to terrorists and insurgents or cause catastrophic explosions in aging depots.  You, in Sierra Leone, benefit from

1.    modernizing your defense infrastructure,
2.    reducing management costs, and
3.    improving readiness. 

DTRA first became involved in weapons management in 2001, providing technical expertise within the United States government.  Since then, the contribution of DTRA has grown as the types and numbers of missions have developed.  DTRA has conducted assistance operations in over 40 countries in South and Central America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

In addition to becoming volatile with age and environmental exposure, stockpiles of old weapons can potentially land in the wrong hands.  The excess weapons in country are obsolete for the government’s security or defense purposes, but are ideal for terrorist or criminal use. DTRA's efforts decrease the chances that Sierra Leone’s tools of protection will end up in the hands of local insurgents or international terrorists. 

This week, DTRA will conduct training so that the RSLAF will have the capability to manage their arsenal in the future.  The seminar will focus on improving physical security and stockpile management.  Thank you very much for your participation in this seminar.  The United States Embassy looks forward to working with each of you in the future, and to continued cooperation with the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces.

Thank you for your enthusiastic participation in this critically important program.