UK High Commissioner, Lisa Chesney has been withdrawn from Sierra Leone according to a credible news channels that share their findings with Nightwatch press while US Ambassador, David Bryan Hunt has been reportedly invited for a meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House.
Sierra Leoneans anxiously wait to hear the outcome of the meeting between Hunt and Biden. Like Lisa Chesney, Ambassador Hunt could be similarly withdrawn according to the expectations of many Sierra Leoneans.
Chesney will be replaced by Josephine Lucy Gauld who has been hailed as a seasoned diplomat and ably represented Britain in foreign missions. The incoming UK diplomat is expected to take over UK High Commission in Sierra Leone in September, this year.
Quoting a press statement from the British Foreign Office, a credible online newspaper states that “Josephine Gauld will succeed Lisa Chesney who is expected to be transferred to another diplomatic service appointment.”
Chesney’s withdrawal came days after Britain got a new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer in a election that took placed over a week agao.
Chesney is yet to make her transfer public, but according to news report, the opposition leader, Samura Kamara has expressed good will sentiments to the outgoing High Commissioner.
He said “the people of Sierra Leone may miss her after serving them very well.” The opposition leader also stated that “Sierra Leoneans are happy to receive the new High Commissioner and assured that she might enjoy her stay just like her predecessor.”
At the moment, Josephine Gauld is the Deputy British High Commissioner to the East African country of Kenya and Permanent Representative to the UNEP and UN habitat.
She joined the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in 2002 and has previously served in the Democratic Republic of Congo, twice in Cote d’voire and Nigeria.
The incoming Ambassador Studied philosophy at Leeds University and holds a Master of Science in Development Management from the London School of Economics and a Masters in European policy from the Universite Paris, Pantheon Sorbonne and a Diploma in Public Administration from l’Ecole Nationale d’Administration in France.
With a blend of quality academic credentials, Josephine is sure to uphold British foreign policy objectives in Sierra Leone particularly democracy, human rights and development.
She comes at a time Sierra Leone is urgently in need of democracy, peace and development after a year of political wrangling between the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) owing to alleged electoral irregularities of the June 24, 2023 elections.
Although many see the removal of Lisa Chesney from Sierra Leone as a normal routine, it could not be unconnected from allegations of complicity with the Bio regime to round up its four years although the peace and security of the state is at stake.
Several APC members especially stalwarts accused Chesney of paving the way for another term for President Bio owing to her moves quite lately.
The former British diplomat came under the spotlight about a year ago after paying a courtesy visit to the Foreign Affairs Minister, Timothy Kabba at the height of the electoral controversy.
Chesney’s unwarranted action prompted a renowned writer and Sierra Leonean journalist, Kabs Kanu to accuse UK of falling for Bio’s false promise of electoral reforms which he referred to as “cheap baits.”
Social media platforms also are saturated with threats against the British diplomat as well as staff of the High Commission if Chesney continues her support a government which they have always branded as an “illegitimate government.”
However, Chesney was initially active and stubborn about the formation and launching of the Tripartite Committee and urging government to comply with the resolutions of the communiqué.
Even when security forces came under attack in November, last year, which later resulted into a “coup attempt,” Lisa Chesney called on government not to walk away from the election probe as it represented Sierra Leone’s last hope.
The attacks took place a day prior to the commencement of the election investigation, a situation that raised a big cloud of suspicion about government stage-managing the coup.
Sierra Leonean writers and political analysts even compared Sierra Leone’s November coup to that of the 1982 Kenya putsch titled “the Coup that changed Arap Moi.”
However, Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh defended the coup saying it was real and that such claims would come only from “unpatriotic Sierra Leoneans.”
However, argument that ex-British High Commissioner was removed from Sierra Leone for downplaying the ongoing electoral stand off is getting popular appraisal.
She also reiterated the same call following a visit to the High Commission by a delegation of top APC leaders.
Former British Foreign Secretary, James Cleverley was also recently similarly posted to the home office after allegations of downplaying Sierra Leone’s post-election stalemate became strong and widespread.
As Lisa Chesney prepares to leave the shores of Sierra Leone for another country, there is a general feeling that David Hunt could be next in the Withdrawal list owing to allegations of facilitating a second term for the Bio regime.
The Ambassador’s claim of no rerun of June 24, 2023 election was never taken with a pinch of salt by opposition members, supporters and sympathisers as his country is central to international politics.
The statement was treated with all seriousness especially when he said “the time for rerun was over as APC failed to challenge the results in the courts as prescribed by Sierra Leonean laws.” Ambassador Hunt’s declaration compelled the people to appeal to the US government to withdraw him from Sierra Leone owing to suspicion of secretly working with the Bio regime.
The allegations against the US diplomat caught the people by surprise owing to a strong word put in for Hunt by former US Ambassador, David Reimer who said “David hunt has his personal lifestyle but will not go against US’s interest.”
Ambassador Hunt initially flexed his muscles in the restoration of democracy in Sierra Leone as he subjected the Bio regime to tough pressure.
It was under Hunt’s tenure that the once dull and moribund Tripartite Committee gained fanfare, pump and pageantry as seen in the launch of the terms of reference that regulated the election probe. David Hunt would also take pride in the donation of $1.5m to the Tripartite Committee by the US government as such occurred under his tenure.
Under Hunt’s tenure, the US Ambassador for Criminal Justice, Beth Van Schaack jetted in Sierra Leone to assure the people of humbling in courts those who undermined the credibility of the June 24 elections.
She emphasised that “the only way to prevent another civil war in Sierra Leone is to hold accountable those who undermine the election.”
However, other Sierra Leoneans are of the view that it could be Ambassador Hunt’s quiet diplomatic move of restoring democracy in Sierra Leone as he had visited several communities in the South-East regions where APC members suffered what many called the ”‘worst forms” of political thuggery.
The burning down of Cecilia Ngobeh’s house and vehicles in Bo city, the brutal gang rape of Satta Lamin in Kailahun and the physical attacks of women in Pujehun districts are still ugly reminders for the US Ambassador and the APC.
Cecila Ngobeh is the APC Chairperson for Bo district while others victims are prominent a and ardent members and supporters of the party.
The allegations and counter-allegations emanate from the electoral gridlock between Sierra Leone’s two main political parties, SLPP and APC.
The latter claimed to have won the elections according to verified result reconciliation forms submitted to the Tripartite Committee, a body set up to look into the alleged irregularities.
The Tripartite Committee also known as the Election Investigation Committee came into being after three-day peace deal brokered by the international community (Commonwealth, African Union and Economic Community Of West African States) between the two main political parties.
Out of the 71% of the RRFs, the opposition leader scored 57.15 percent while the incumbent, Julius Maada Bio got a little over 39% of the votes, but still hold the forte despite repeated calls to step aside or a rerun of the election is held.
The Tripartite Committee has almost completed its work and released 80 recommendations bordering on electoral reforms so that all future elections in Sierra Leone would be free, fair and credible.
Two out of the remaining five recommendations are disastrous to the ruling party as they hinge on results examination and electoral justice which has been a key demand for the opposition.
Results examination seeks to establish the actual winner of the elections while electoral justice is about bring to justice those who played significant role in undermining the credibility of the June 24, 2023 general elections.
Without doubt, heads might roll in the near future when the court sits as the Australian judge, Kate Sullivan is looking into the evidence submitted by the opposition.