US Embassy Debunk Misinformation About Nominated Ambassador

Madam Sarah Van Horne, the Public Affairs Officer of the United States Embassy in Freetown, has clarified the status of Bryan Hunt's nomination as the proposed Ambassador to Sierra Leone. She addressed the circulating misinformation on social media regarding the replacement of the current Ambassador David Reimer.

In her statement, she emphasized that Bryan Hunt's nomination is still pending final confirmation by the US Congress. The nomination was made by the White House on March 6, which was prior to the elections in Sierra Leone. Due to the time-consuming nature of the confirmation process, it is currently uncertain when Ambassador Reimer will depart and when the next Ambassador will arrive. However, she assured me that this transition is a routine part of the Ambassadorial cycle, which typically occurs every couple of years. The change is unrelated to any events in Sierra Leone and was publicly announced in March.

Bryan Hunt, the nominated candidate, is an experienced diplomat. He is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, holding the rank of Minister Counselor. Currently, he serves as the Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the United States Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. Previously, Mr. Hunt served as the Director of the Office of South Sudan and Sudan in the Bureau of African Affairs at the Department of State in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Hunt has also held key leadership positions overseas, including Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassies in Maputo, Mozambique; Georgetown, Guyana; and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Additionally, he served as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Africa and the Sudans at the State Department.