VZCZCXRO4017
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHFN #0578/01 3461751
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111751Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY FREETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2348
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 FREETOWN 000578 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR H - PLEASE PASS TO CODEL NELSON 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W (JHUNTER/ESPRUILL) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL OREP MARR SNAR SL
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR CODEL NELSON DECEMBER 15 VISIT TO 
SIERRA LEONE 
 
REF: STATE 128396 
 
¶1. (U) Embassy Freetown looks forward to welcoming you to 
Sierra Leone. Your visit comes at a prescient time in our 
bilateral relationship with the Government of Sierra Leone 
(GoSL), as we attempt to support its ongoing efforts to 
re-build and flourish. Sierra Leone is known worldwide as a 
country beset with challenges, many of which are the result 
of the brutal decade-long civil war that destroyed 
infrastructure and truncated political, social, and economic 
development. The country currently sits last on the UN's 
Human Development Index due to high unemployment, the worst 
mother-child mortality rates in the world, and widespread 
illiteracy. Despite this background, however, Sierra Leone is 
of significant strategic interest to the USG: 
 
-- It is the most stable country in the Mano River Union 
(MRU), and instrumental in helping to maintain peace and 
security; 
 
-- Sierra Leone is a model for post-conflict reconstruction, 
one of two countries chosen for the UN's pilot Peace Building 
program; 
 
-- The 2007 Presidential Elections and 2008 Local Council 
Elections, both judged free and fair by international 
observers, occurred with limited violence and peaceful 
transitions. These elections are considered a model for the 
continent; 
 
-- Sierra Leone is an ally with the USG on critical issues. 
For example, the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) 
immediately and publicly recognized Kosovo's independence 
following its secession; 
 
-- The GoSL is becoming a leader in international forums, 
such as the AU and the UN, and is actively promoting human 
rights issues through multilateral engagement. Sierra Leone 
co-sponsored the U.S. Zimbabwe Resolution, and was one of few 
African countries to make public statements against the 
violence there; 
 
-- There is strong political will to combat narcotics 
trafficking in Sierra Leone and throughout the sub-region; 
 
-- Despite the pervasive culture of corruption, the GoSL has 
taken significant steps to combat it, including passing one 
of the toughest anti-corruption laws in Africa; 
 
-- The GoSL is actively engaged in assisting with 
counter-terrorism efforts. 
 
¶2. (U) Though the GoSL is making strong attempts to escape 
the "Blood Diamond" branding and soar as a regional leader in 
democracy, human rights, and governance, the country is 
highly vulnerable to failure. Economic, social, internal, and 
regional insecurity, coupled with insufficient capacity, have 
a negative impact on progress. It would not be in the USG 
interest to have GoSL efforts falter, impacting our bilateral 
and multilateral relations and priorities. Picking up the 
pieces after another bloody conflict would be more costly 
than to fully provide assistance so desperately needed now. 
The following paragraphs outline issues of critical concern 
to USG interests. 
 
------------------- 
ECONOMIC INSECURITY 
------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The civil war destroyed the country's 
infrastructure, including physical and human capital, and the 
process of rebuilding is a long and arduous one. A country 
known for its natural resources has neither the capability to 
effectively harness them nor the capacity to regulate others 
intent on exploiting them. Unemployment is estimated at 70%, 
with no industrial or manufacturing employment prospects for 
unskilled and skilled workers. The borders of the formal 
economy are constantly receding to make way for the informal, 
where regulation, taxation, and legitimacy are non-existent. 
In this environment, poverty is an endemic killer. A nation 
rendered fragile by the impacts of war feels external market 
shocks more keenly. This level of desperation creates 
opportunities for heightened criminal activity, and bilateral 
assistance requests to countries whose true motives are 
unknown. 
 
------------------- 
REGIONAL INSECURITY 
 
FREETOWN 00000578  002 OF 003 
 
 
------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Though Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia are persevering in 
their struggles to rebuild after their respective conflicts, 
the situation in Guinea appears to be ever-worsening. Given 
the porous nature of Sierra Leone's borders with its 
neighboring states, as well as the close historic, familial, 
and economic ties between them, insecurity in one country 
quickly spills over into another. For Sierra Leone, the MRU's 
current bastion of peace, heightened tensions in Guinea drive 
people over the border, though Sierra Leone has no capacity 
to support refugees. An increase in organized crime in one 
country can also lead to an upswing in similar activity in 
another, and smuggling contraband such as narcotics and arms 
is known to occur throughout the MRU. External forces such as 
these threaten Sierra Leone's fragile internal security. 
Through the Department of Defense, the USG works strenuously 
with the military and larger security sector to build 
capacity to protect Sierra Leone's land and coastal borders. 
 
------------------- 
INTERNAL INSECURITY 
------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) Economic hardships are a significant destabilizing 
force. The massive unemployment, particularly among the 
nation's youth population whose education was interrupted by 
war, leaves many angry and idle individuals more than willing 
to make mischief or worse. Easily manipulated, the 
"unemployed youth" cohort is responsible for political 
violence and petty and violent crime. The Sierra Leone 
Police, riddled with systemic corruption, hampered by 
virtually no resources, and lacking the most basic training 
and equipment, is poorly matched against a hungry population 
already sensitized to brutality. Though a peaceful country at 
the moment, battle fatigue could dissipate as economic 
deprivation worsens. If the delicate balance supporting 
stability wavers, the GoSL has few resources with which to 
quell violence and insurgency. The USG supports training 
initiatives for the police, and the Embassy hopes to provide 
additional technical assistance in FY09. 
 
--------- 
NARCOTICS 
--------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) An element of both regional and internal insecurity 
concerns, narcotics trafficking through Sierra Leone to 
Europe is on the rise. The largest cocaine bust in the 
country's history took place in July, 2008, netting over 
700kg. of premium cocaine and 21 suspects of Sierra Leonean, 
South American, and American citizenship. The size and 
sophistication of this trafficking attempt indicates a 
well-organized syndicate which has likely used Sierra Leone 
as a staging ground for its criminal activity in the past. 
The fragility of the governance and judicial structures, 
coupled with economic insecurity, makes Sierra Leone highly 
vulnerable for further narcotics trafficking, especially as 
USG and others focus on neighboring countries. Without 
constant vigilance, Sierra Leone is at-risk for increased 
organized crime. The Embassy seeks additional funding in FY09 
to support the GoSL in their efforts, to include such 
activities as strengthening their National Anti-Drug law, 
providing judicial assistance, and equipping and training the 
Joint Drug Interdiction Task Force. 
 
--------------- 
ANTI-CORRUPTION 
--------------- 
 
¶7. (U) The President made a "zero tolerance for corruption" 
campaign pledge in 2007, and made good on that promise during 
his first year in office. Placing great confidence in Abdul 
Tejan-Cole, new Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption 
Commission (ACC), the President has supported a revamping of 
the ACC organization, the passage of a revised 
Anti-Corruption Act (signed into law September 1), became the 
first Sierra Leonean Head of State to declare his assets, and 
forced every ministry to include anti-corruption activities 
in their missions and strategic plans. Though no charges 
under the new law have been brought yet, the ACC is actively 
investigating and prosecuting prominent current and former 
government officials. The Embassy liaises regularly with the 
ACC, and plans to support training and technical assistance 
in the areas of forensic accounting and extraditions. 
 
------------------------------------- 
SPECIAL COURT FOR SIERRA LEONE (SCSL) 
 
FREETOWN 00000578  003 OF 003 
 
 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) The SCSL, funded by voluntary contributions from UN 
member states, is responsible for prosecuting the primary 
leaders of rebel groups during the war. Former Liberian 
president Charles Gankay Taylor stands before the SCSL in The 
Hague on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. 
The AFRC and CDF trials, including appeals, are complete, 
with the accused found guilty of numerous counts and 
sentenced to prison terms ranging from 15 to 40 years. Final 
arguments in the RUF trial concluded in August, with a 
judgment expected within weeks. The USG is the largest 
contributor to the SCSL, of $60 million to date, and is 
actively encouraging the Court to complete its mandate 
according to the agreed-upon schedule in 2010. 
 
--------------------------------- 
STATUS OF FORCES AGREEMENT (SOFA) 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Having languished on various GoSL desks for several 
years, signing the SOFA agreement is a current Embassy 
concern. The issue has been raised at the highest levels, and 
though promises of movement were recently made, there are no 
signs of actual progress. Finalizing this agreement is a 
critical priority for the USG, so that increased military 
assistance can begin to be provided. 
 
-------------- 
USG ASSISTANCE 
-------------- 
 
¶10. (U) Assistance efforts focus on building institutional 
capacities through: strengthening good governance and 
consolidating peace and security through democratic political 
processes; supporting economic growth and private sector 
investment, particularly in the productive agriculture and 
natural resources sectors; and, reducing food insecurity and 
increasing the standard of living through developmental food 
aid. USAID is just starting to implement the Promoting 
Agriculture, Governance and Environment Program (PAGE) as a 
means to assist Sierra Leone in promoting good governance and 
transparency while also impacting agricultural and 
environmental productivity and increased access to markets. 
This is a 4-year $13 million project. Although not a PEPFAR 
country, Sierra Leone was the recipient of $500,000 in FY08 
for HIV/AIDS education for awareness building around 
prevention and treatment and to strengthen the health system 
for improved and reliable HIV/STD surveillance assessment. 
Other USG assistance efforts include funding for trafficking 
in persons, child labor, refugee assistance, special 
self-help grants to communities, and IMET. 
 
---------- 
CONCLUSION 
---------- 
 
¶11. (U) Again, Embassy Freetown looks forward to your visit 
on December 15. Though your time in Sierra Leone is limited, 
the targeted meetings with President Koroma, members of the 
government's security sector, and USG staff will give you 
valuable insight into the pressing issues facing the 
country's continued development and further entrench our 
bilateral relationship. 
PERRY