Exclusive Interview :
His Excellency Adikalie Foday Sumah, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the Republic of Guinea, and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in the Republicof Guinea.
By Alhassan Spear Kamara
- His Excellency Sir, what has it been like since you were appointed by H.E the
President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma to serve as
Sierra Leone Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea in relation to your terms of
reference?
Ambassador Sumah: It is about six years now since I received the nod from His
Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone; to serve
him and country as his Principal Representative to the Republic of Guinea. In diplomatic
phraseology, the 2nd
March, 2015 will aggregate to six years as his Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the Republic of
Guinea; with accreditations to the Republics of Mali, Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde.
However, in a re-alignment of Diplomatic Missions abroad, the Republic of Niger was
re-aligned to the Mission in Guinea, while Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde were re- aligned to the Missions in the Republics of The Gambia and Senegal respectively. Since
then, the job has, in a nutshell, proved and continues to prove interesting, enlightening,
collaborative and representational. I have learnt a lot and gained practical experience in
representational and collaborative diplomacy both at bilateral and multilateral spheres.
And I am still learning and will continue to simplify my life in the cause of rolling out
effective representation for the President, government and people of the Republic of Sierra
Leone.
- You may have, I believe, come up with certain initiatives to strengthen the bi- lateral ties between Sierra Leone and Guinea. Can you share some of those initiatives?
Ambassador Sumah: The primary assignment of a diplomat is to serve and promote the
national interest of his Sovereign Nation-State as prescribed under the Constitution and,
as Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea; I ensure, that primary assignment
is served. Being a team player with a bird’s eye-view in drawing strength from the past,
in the first place, I tried to build up from the sound records of my predecessors who had
served our country in Guinea at various times in the country’s political history; how it
relates to, in particular, our bilateral relations with Guinea and those countries under
my accreditation as well as the furtherance of our multilateral relations pursuant to the
Mano River Union (MRU). Given our political experiences stemming from the aftermath
of the 1967 General Elections and the Civil/ Rebel War between 1991 and 2002, I tried to
prioritise the following: Highest level collaborations between the two Sovereign States in
the promotion and maintenance of the security of the two States; consolidation of peace
and security; cross-border economic activity by promoting free movement of goods,
services, capital and people through overland and sea transportation networks; respect
for each other’s territorial integrity; and collaboration in the areas of democracy; good
governance; food security; health and sanitation; organized crime bordering on narcotics
and human trafficking for the purposes of child labour and sex marauders.
Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Côte
- What moves have your office made so far in trying to make the Mano River
Union more formidable in its endeavours to overcome the various common challenges faced by the Member States of Sierrad’Ivoire?
Ambassador Sumah: The inception of the Mano River Union (MRU) in 1973 by its
Founding Fathers of William Tolbert, erstwhile President of the Republic of Liberia and Dr.
Siaka Probyn Stevens, erstwhile President of the Republic of Sierra Leone was motivated
by common aspirations for Customs harmonization leading to a piecemeal economic
integration; facilitating inter-state trade in locally produced commodities, increase in
agricultural food productivity, fostering of primary industries with a view to job creation
and poverty reduction among the Member States and the furtherance of peace and security.
For all intents and purposes, the MRU started off admirably and for that, among other
reasons, Guinea; under El-Hadj Ahmed Sekou Touré, erstwhile President of the Republic of
Guinea, joined the Union. However, the political instability which gradually ensued
degenerated into wide spread civil wars; occasioning serious devastating effects on Liberia,
Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire. The rapid change of political events in these Member
States clearly instigated the emergence of multifaceted common challenges principally
security; armed insurrections and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons; wide
spread human rights violations in the Sub-region, misted up with concomitant economic
and social repercussions. As a Diplomatic Mission, we engendered a holistic approach to
dealing with the security challenges which, in my informed perception, is the pivot around
which all the other challenges move. Among others, we ensure that: the Military Liaison
Officer of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces to the Republic of Guinea Armed
Forces is provided with office accommodation in the Embassy and issued him with a
Diplomatic Vehicle Registration Number Plate to facilitate movement of border patrols.
These administrative arrangements were initiated and implemented by the current
management of the Embassy under my superintendence. By this strategy, we give effect to
the aspirations couched under the Common Border Patrol Protocol. Moreover, in our bid
to promote the activities of the MUR in the international community and development
partners, we spearheaded the hosting of the first ever forum of development partners in
Conakry where, the MRU Secretariat made a detailed presentation of its activities including
a portfolio of various development projects already accomplished as well as the ongoing
projects. We, the MRU Member States Ambassadors resident in Conakry meet; collaborate
and exchange information on issues impacting the multilateral institution. Complementing
the work of the Resident Liaison Office of the MRU in Conakry, we ensure that, our
Embassies are utilized as On-Stop-Bureau for accessing information on the MRU. Visitors
to my office are greeted with the four flags of the MRU Member States. This strategic
approach is adopted to give effect to the briefs of His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma,
President of the Republic of Sierra Leone bordering on his views of accentuating the
purpose and activities of the MRU to the international community and development
partners.
- 4. Both countries are now facing emergency situations with the outbreak of the
deadly Ebola virus. What inputs have you made so far in trying to fight the virus
in order to completely eliminate it from the sub-region?
Ambassador Sumah: Let me start off by saying that, the Ebola Virus Disease was hitherto
a wholly unfamiliar virus disease in the MRU Sub-region. As a result, its outbreak in the
sub-region in the closing chapter of 2013 and mid 2014 in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone
respectively, affecting 3 of the 4 Member States of the Mano River Union at a time when,
the economies of these most affected Member States were recording steady growth is
rather debilitating. As post-conflict economies, the health infrastructures of Sierra Leone
and Liberia were largely ill equipped to deal with the menacing virus when it struck. As an
Embassy resident in the first epicenter of the disease, our first input was to seek for as
much information as we could on the virus in relation to its causes, its permeating capacity;
how to prevent infection and containment from spreading. As the Dean of the Diplomatic
Corps in the Republic of Guinea, I ensured that, the Diplomatic Missions and
Representatives of International organisations in Guinea were briefed on a regular basis
with regard to its effect on the human population, and technical assistance available to
tackle the virus etc. On receiving the pertinent information, we then embarked on
sensitising our Sierra Leone Community in Guinea through the Sierra Leone Nationals
Union, on how to stir clear from contacting the deadly viral ailment. We produced posters
and hand bills which were displayed at strategic points were our communities live around
Conakry including the Embassy. We also joined the Government of the Republic of Sierra
Leone’s Ebola Response Appeal in raising the needed resource to fight against the EVD. We
therefore engaged both our bilateral and multilateral partners for financial, technical and
logistical assistance. That appeal yielded and, is still yielding positive response in the
concerted efforts to repel and finally eradicate the ravaging virus disease from Sierra
Leone, Guinea and Liberia. As an Embassy, we donated the sum of $2000 towards the
National Ebola Response Appeal Fund coupled with other donations by individual
members of the Diplomatic Staff of the Embassy at their local districts levels. We also
adopted ancillary temporary measures in line with those promulgated under the Public
State of Emergency introduced by President Koroma across the country, in response to the
Ebola outbreak. In particular, we enforced the ban on non-ebola related public gatherings
at the Embassy as well as among our communities in Conakry and in the regions;
prohibited touching such as hand shake and cuddling etc; curtailed the Embassy working
hours to control the in flow of members of the public in and out of the Chancery; we
introduced mandatory taking of temperatures of staff and our service users with thermo- flash; washing of hands with soapy and chlorinated water by installing tap-fitted synthetic
buckets at the main gate of the Embassy; my residence, the Deputy Ambassador’s, the Head
of Chancery’s as well as the Second Secretary’s. These measures, coupled with those
introduced by the Guinean authorities help us to ensure that, none of my compatriots in the
Republic of Guinea including the Embassy officials and staff has so far contracted the lethal
disease. In order to mitigate for the down turn economic impact of the ebola, we engaged
our Guinean Counterparts to ensure that, they emulate the policy initiative of Sierra Leone
by allowing the borders between us as well as Liberia to remain open, while health related
protocols were put in place at the border-crossing points, such as Gbalamuya for instance,
with a view to limiting the exportation and importation of the virus across the borders. In
our stakeholders’ meetings, seminars and working-lunch discussions, I made it a point of
duty to raise the case for the engagement of the MRU by empowering its Secretariat to
implement certain of the interventions strategized by the specialised international
community agencies including the WHO, CDC, MSF as well as the Ministries of Health of the
epicenter countries at the border-crossing points. As the sub-regional multilateral
institution, the MRU Secretariat is, in my self-effacing opinion, better placed to administer
health and clinical facilities along the major border-crossing points as pr-emptive and
containment mechanisms.
- Many people would like to know about the current status of Yenga. What is it like
at the moment?
Ambassador Sumah: The territorial altercation between the Republic of Guinea and the
Republic of Sierra Leone over Yenga is being resolved between the two Heads of State.
Pursuant to the [Freetown] Joint Declaration on the Border Issue of Yenga of the 27th
July 2012, Guinea’s occupation of Yenga came to an end. In particular, the two Heads of
State and their respective Governments declared the demilitarisation of the Yenga area as
provided for under paragraph 1 of the declaration. Pursuant to paragraph 2, it was
declared that, Consequent to the objective and spirit couched under the declaration, the
two Heads of State of the Republics of Guinea and Sierra Leone will instruct the high
authorities of their respective Armed forces to implement the declaration; while paragraph
3 enjoined the Joint Guinea-Sierra Leone Technical Committee on Yenga to resume its work
leading to a final and peaceful resolution of the Yenga Border issue. From the above, it is
crystal clear that, Yenga has been demilitarised, thereby putting an end to the Guinean
occupation of that part of the territory of the Sovereign State of the Republic of Sierra
Leone. The Joint Technical Committee’s work is primarily to finally fix the boundary on the
Left Bank of the Moa-Makona River which was to be finalised after; the Anglo-Liberian
boundary was settled under the 1912 Protocol. It follows that, since the settlement of the
Anglo-Liberian border on the Moa-Makona River a little over 102 years ago, Guinea and
Sierra Leone are now taking steps to finalise the demarcation of their border along the said
bank of the relevant river. The undisputed fact in the conundrum is that: the Republic of
Guinea has never laid claim over Yenga as her territory. Guinea has invariably recognised
Yenga to be a territory of the Republic of Sierra Leone. In fact, before the outbreak of the
Ebola Virus Disease, on the instructions of President Koroma, the Joint Guinea-Sierra Leone
Technical Committee had already commenced its preparatory meetings leading to the
holding of the substantive meeting in April, 2014 when the ebola struck Guinea. Both the
Guinean and Sierra Leone competent authorities are aware where the Yenga stands today.
And that is: Yenga Village is free and, it is effectively under the Sovereignty of the Republic
of Sierra Leone, administered by the competent authorities of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
As the resident Ambassador in Conakry, I undertook a field trip to Yenga in January 2014,
for the purpose of familarising myself with the area. I was accompanied by the Military
Liaison Officer, Lt. Col. Mohamed Sidiq Fofanah. We received a very warm welcome from
the indigenes of Yenga. In fact, to ascertain the above fact, I paid my Local Tax as well as for
the local indigenes that were eligible to pay the tax. And, at a brief traditional ceremony,
my compatriots of Yenga conferred on me the Honourary Title of Tamba Nyuma of Yenga
Village.
- There have been reported cases of alleged harassment of Sierra Leoneans in
Guinea especially business persons. Are you aware of such incidences?
Ambassador Sumah: The issue of harassing Sierra Leoneans in Guinea was more
pronounced during the last civilian regime and that of the Military which came
immediately following the demise of the former. However, since the installation of
the current civilian dispensation, there has been no recurrence of such incidents of
harassments being perpetrated by the Guinean security forces against my compatriots.
However, overland road business commuters between Freetown and Conakry do
experience menacing demands for money from security personnel at the check-points.
This has been the subject of discussions and conclusions under a number of joint
declarations between the Governments of Guinea and Sierra Leone. The most recent
one was that which was concluded on the 12 June, 2012 on the occasion of the Joint
Commissioning of the Gbaray Junction – Pamelap High Way by Their Excellencies President
Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and President Prof. Alpha Conde. In her maiden speech at the
ceremony, the current Secretary General of the MRU, Ambassador Hadja Saran Daraba
Kaba, in no mincing of words mood, condemned the harassment of business commuters
of the said route by the security personnel on both sides of the border. She pointed out
that, the unsavory practice is counter to the MRU Protocol on the free movement of goods,
services, capital and people. Therefore, the act of harassing the business commuters
appears to be systemic where; both sides are crying foul. However, my intelligence on
the issue is to the effect that, the Sierra Leone side of the border may appear not to be as
menacing as the other side. That said; it must be known that, while the competent State
authorities are vehemently opposed to the menacing practice, commuters from both sides
of the border should complement the efforts of the two Governments by saying no to this
unfortunate extortionist culture!
- Since being in office what are some of your major challenges you have been
facing in trying to achieve your mandate or objectives?
Ambassador Sumah: Simply, it is resources. However, given our economic circumstances
as a post-conflict economy, I am not oblivious of the realistic hiccups in the flow of
resources to fully realize my Annual Work Plan. Being the Show-room of Sierra Leone
abroad, the realization of set goals in diplomacy is hinged on the financial capacity of
the Embassy to engage in and roll out public diplomacy. For instance, the hosting of
presentation sessions, seminars and work-shops etc; in a bid to promoting the country’s
economic national interests with regard to attracting Foreign Direct Investment potentials
and commercial business opportunities in the Sending State, it would require funds.
As a cross-border Mission, we are in variably faced with problems emanating form our
Sierra Leonean community in the Guinea Diaspora with regard to their self-conceived
expectations of the Embassy to provide financial assistance towards medical bills, funeral
rites, house rents, food, school fees – the list is inexhaustible. As a result of the war
situation then in the Sierra Leone, occasioning the flee of thousands of my compatriots
seeking asylum in Guinea, most of them still entertain the belief that, the Embassy has
a duty to provide them with the kind of welfare assistance which they used to receive
during the unfortunate war situation. This situation is compounded with wide spread
unemployment among the community particularly in Conakry. However, I must hasten to
point out that, there is a significant proportion of Sierra Leoneans who are educated and
skilled; they have little or nothing so pressing to even visit the Embassy. I believe, with
time and improved circumstances, the perceptions would change about what or what not is
the duty of the Embassy with regard to welfare provisions towards our citizens in Guinea.
- What are your futuristic plans, precisely for 2015, to strengthen the bond
between the two countries and promote development in various national
sectors?
Ambassador Sumah: The diplomatic hot potato for any Sierra Leonean Mission abroad for
2015 is the issue of post-ebola development strategies. You see, we all know where Sierra
Leone was and where it was heading to pre-Ebola outbreak. Therefore, I will prioritise
strategies which will turn things round within a reasonable period of time to place us
back on track with our Agenda for Prosperity. More cross-border trade and investment
opportunities will be exploited in the areas of manufacturing; trade in local agricultural
produce and agricultural goods such as fertilizers, seeds and pesticides; the promotion
of commercial farming- an area where, in my view, Guinea seems to surpass Sierra
Leone. With Affluent Guinean farmers investing in large scale commercial farming across
the border, investing in primary industries concerned with the production of building
materials and the stocking of finished good in Sierra Leone for redistribution within
the sub-region, it will, in no mean measure, strengthen the existing bond of cordiality,
fraternity and good neighbourliness between the two sister countries. This, in turn, will
foster sub-regional peace, security and political stability necessary for the realisation of
holistic national development.
- Finally sir, are you comfortable with your job?
Ambassador Sumah: As a former President of the MMTC Students Union as well as the
National Union of Sierra Leone Students (NUS), and as Teacher, Politician and a Lawyer, I
find my job as an Ambassador comfortable in that, my experiences in these domains, are
pretty much alike in terms of providing advice, assistance and representation on the one
hand; negotiation, mediation and conciliation on the other. My job is also comfortable
due to the tremendous support, co-operation and collaboration I enjoy from my Deputy
Ambassador, the Hon. Alhajie Foday Lahai Koroma; my Head of Chancery/Counsel, Mr. Bai
Mansamuntha Thuray; my Second Secretary, Mrs. Halima Bangura and the entire staff of
the Embassy. I would like to acknowledge every one’s effort and contributions towards the
successes we have been able to achieve since my assumption of duty at the Sierra Leone
Embassy in Conakry, Guinea. Moreover, I cannot be so obliged enough to His Excellency Dr.
Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone for giving me the opportunity
to serve him in his governance of the State of the Republic of Sierra Leone. Considering
the fact that, out of nearly six million Sierra Leoneans, I am given the Chance to be part of a
Government that is set to achieve visible accolades within extreme circumstance as a post- conflict Nation-State on the African continent, is a laudable gesture. My profound thanks
and appreciations are also due to my Sierra Leonean compatriots in Guinea who, in various
ways and degrees, support the Embassy in the furtherance of its activities in the receiving
State of the Republic of Guinea.
