Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has today, Monday 1 August, 2022 visited the U.S. Coastguard Cutter Mohawk, and commended the corporation between the United States and Sierra Leone in the area of maritime support and capacity building.

The Vice President was joined by senior military leaders and the U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone, David Reimer in touring the U.S. Coastguard boat.

“This morning, I visited the USCGC Mohawk vessel (WMEC 913). The vessel is in Sierra Leone as part of the bilateral cooperation between the United States and Sierra Leone in the area of maritime support and capacity building. Enhanced capability to effectively police our coast is vital to safeguarding our maritime borders and resources while at the same time contribute to strengthening global maritime cooperation,” Vice President Jalloh noted on a social media post.

“I want to thank Cmdr Andrew Pate and his crew for the conducted tour and wish them a productive and enjoyable mission in Sierra Leone in the coming days. Their mission is a vivid testimony of the outstanding partnership between the Government of Sierra Leone and the United States of America,” he added.

The U.S. Embassy in Sierra Leone revealed that following this port visit, Mohawk will also embark on a joint mission with officers from Sierra Leone’s Joint Maritime Committee’s (JMC) Joint Operations Center (JOC) and Ministry of Fisheries to protect Sierra Leonean waters.

“The U.S. Embassy is proud to welcome the USCGC Mohawk to Freetown this week,” said U.S Ambassador David Reimer. “Supporting our partners in maritime security is a vital U.S. policy priority. Cooperation on maritime security ensures not only safer and more secure oceans, but also helps safeguard Sierra Leone’s endangered marine biospheres, necessary for food security and the protection of the environment for future generations.”

“My crew and I are excited to be in Freetown,” said Cmdr. Andrew Pate, commanding officer of Mohawk. “One of our primary objectives during this deployment is to enhance partner nations’ capacity to operate effectively in the maritime domain and promote targeted, effective, intelligence-driven enforcement operations.”

“The United States and Sierra Leone have a proud history of working together to promote peace, stability, and security in Africa. In March, Sierra Leone participated in exercise Obangame Express 2022, the largest annual maritime security exercise in Western Africa. These types of exercises strengthen partnerships and allow countries to work more closely on transnational maritime challenges,” the U.S. Embassy stated.