U.S. Accuses Sierra Leone of Violating Third-Country Agreement
During the nomination hearing of U.S. Ambassador-designate to Sierra Leone Daniel Travis, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Senator Jeanne Shaheen accused Sierra Leone of violating a third-country agreement with the United States concerning the acceptance of deportees.
“In the third-country agreement between Sierra Leone and the United States, for which the U.S. provides $1.6 million, Sierra Leone committed to upholding this agreement by not sending migrants to their countries where they will face punishment. Now, there is credible evidence that Sierra Leone is violating this agreement,” Senator Shaheen said.
She also referenced the National Unity Agreement between the Government and the Opposition, which former U.S. Ambassador David Hunt helped negotiate. Shaheen asked Ambassador-designate Travis what he would do to ensure the agreement is fully implemented.
In response, Daniel Travis said that, if confirmed, he would advocate for Sierra Leone to comply with all its agreements, including the third-country agreement.
He also pledged to work with the Government, Opposition and Civil Society to ensure the National Unity Agreement is fully implemented.
“If confirmed, my priority is to ensure that the agreement is fully implemented,” Travis said.
Travis further said the United States is resetting its relationship with Africa by moving away from aid dependency toward trade, investment and mutual benefit, adding that Sierra Leone presents an opportunity to deliver that kind of partnership.
He said he would use U.S. investment tools, including the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), to advance reforms that serve American interests.
“I will work on transformational deals, opening doors for American investment, and ensure that Sierra Leone’s energy sector and mineral investments are shaped by American interests and not by our competitors,” he said.
On global health security, Travis said that, if confirmed, he would work to strengthen cooperation between the United States and Sierra Leone in addressing shared health-security challenges and building resilient health systems.
