Nothing to Do With Sierra Leone’s Just Concluded Elections
US Amb. David Reimer’s imminent Departure is a Routine Procedure
By: Christian Conteh
In a recent social media post attributed to an individual named Malik Malik Bah, a claim circulated regarding the transfer of US Ambassador David Dale Reimer. The post alleged that Ambassador Reimer had been reassigned by the Biden administration due to his supposed involvement in Sierra Leone’s local politics. An investigation by this medium has debunked this claim, revealing it to be false.
“Sierra Leone Gets New US Ambassador By the name of Hunt, Bryan David. The current ambassador David Dale Reimer has been transferred by the Biden administration because he breached his diplomatic right by involving in politics,” Malik Malik Bah posted on Facebook.
To ascertain the truth behind the viral post, we reached out to Alhassan Jalloh, the Press and Media Coordinator at the American Embassy in Freetown. In response, Jalloh confirmed the falsity of the information and provided an official message from Sarah Van Horne, the US Embassy’s Public Affairs Officer, effectively refuting the claims.
The message issued by Van Horne categorically debunked the misinformation and aimed to clarify the actual circumstances surrounding Ambassador Reimer’s position and the pending appointment of his successor. Van Horne emphasized the importance of fact-checking and dispelling false narratives.
She proceeded to reveal that Bryan Hunt had been nominated by the White House to assume the role of the next ambassador to Sierra Leone on March 6, a considerable period before the elections took place in the country.
However, it is important to note that the confirmation process by the US Congress for Hunt’s nomination is still pending, and as a result, the precise timeline for Ambassador Reimer’s departure and the arrival of his successor remains unknown at present.
The message reiterated that this transition represents a routine and customary aspect of ambassadorial rotations, which occur periodically every couple of years. It further emphasized that the transfer of Ambassador Reimer is unrelated to any specific events within Sierra Leone and had been publicly announced back in March.
“DEBUNKING MISINFORMATION: Dear media colleagues, we’ve seen some misinformation online that we wanted to fact-check. The White House nominated Bryan Hunt to be the next ambassador to Sierra Leone on March 6 (well before the elections in Sierra Leone). Bryan Hunt’s nomination is pending final confirmation by the US Congress, and that process can take some time, so we do not, at this time, know when Ambassador Reimer will depart, and when the nominee for the next Ambassador will arrive. Regardless of when it happens, this transition is part of the normal cycle of Ambassador arrivals and departures, which typically occurs every couple of years. It is not related to any events in Sierra Leone and was announced publicly back in March,” Sarah Van Horne, the US Embassy’s Public Affairs Officer wrote
Conclusively, the claims suggesting that Ambassador David Dale Reimer was transferred due to his involvement in Sierra Leone’s local politics have been unequivocally disproven. The ongoing transition is simply part of the normal cycle of ambassador arrivals and departures, which occur periodically within diplomatic circles. As the truth emerges, it serves as a reminder of the significance of reliable and accurate reporting to ensure the dissemination of factual information to the public.