By Alpha Abu
The country’s first ever Foreign Service Academy (FSA) is to become fully operational on February 1 this year. Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Professor David Francis made the announcement during the commissioning last Thursday, of the structure that’s within the precincts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international Cooperation at Tower Hill in Freetown.
He told dignitaries including President Julius Maada Bio that the new institution was yet another tangible evidence of the president’s determination to change and transform the country’s global image and international relations ‘’as a credible , respectable country of standing and a beacon of hope for a New Sierra Leone’’.
Prof. Francis said the edifice is expected to serve as a centre of excellence that will professionalise and transform Sierra Leone’s Foreign Service in line president Bio’s human capital development initiative.
According to the minister, the academy ‘’will provide high quality and international standard training and capacity building programmes and courses’’ for Career Diplomats and foreign ministry officials of all levels including those in missions abroad.
He said the institution in collaboration with international partners will also cater for other people from across Africa to train and learn about Sierra Leone’s success story of post-war peace building and state reconstruction.
‘’I have no doubt that in the process, Sierra Leone will be able to exercise ‘Soft Power’ and also make sure that participants from across Africa will become Ambassadors of Sierra Leone to promote the good image of the country’’, Prof. Francis continued.
He also spoke about the developed curriculum contents that are now ready for international validation and accreditation.
President Bio in his statement acknowledged the bilateral ties between Sierra Leone and China and noted that the academy was further proof of that relationship between the two countries. He said commissioning of the academy was a historic moment and was hopeful that it will serve not just Sierra Leonean diplomats but others from countries in the African continent.
Multilateral Diplomacy, Consular and Crisis Management, Public Diplomacy and Media Management, International Law, Security, Defence and Intelligence, and Mediation for Peace are among the numerous courses and modules that will be offered by the academy.
President Bio on the 21st December 2020 turned the sod for start of construction of the foreign service academy.
The Government of China provided funds for the academy which was then constructed by engineering firm, China Railway Seventh Group.
Copyright © Politico Online (09/01/23)
