HEALTH OF PRESIDENT KABBAH OF SIERRA LEONE

C O N F I D E N T I A L FREETOWN 000809 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR INR/AA E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2021 TAGS: PINR SL SUBJECT: HEALTH OF PRESIDENT KABBAH OF SIERRA LEONE REF: STATE 150331 Classified By: Ambassador T. N. Hull, Reasons 1.5 b/d ¶1. (C) As requested Reftel, Embassy Freetown is providing an assessment of the apparent health and leadership qualities of the President of Sierra Leone. Information is based on observation. ¶2. (U) Biographic Information: Name: President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah Term of Office: President since 1996 (in exile from May 1997 to March 1998); re-elected May 2002 to a five year term; will step down after the next national elections (scheduled for July 2007) Date and Place of Birth: February 16, 1932, Podembu, Sierra Leone Political Party Affiliation: Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) Marital Status: Widower; was married to Patricia Lucy Kabbah (nee Tucker),who died in 1998; has four children Languages: Fluent English and French, as well as local languages Krio, Mende, Mandingo and Temne. Education: Bachelor's University College, Wales Abersystwyth 1959; 1968-1997 law studies Grays Inn, London (LLD) Career: Sierra Leone colonial administration (1959-61); Ministry of Trade and later Ministry of Education, post independence in 1961 until 1968; UNDP 1971-1992, serving as ResRep in Lesotho and later Uganda (with responsiblity for Tanzania) and in New York UNDP management positions. Health and Physical Appearance ¶3. (C) Based on observation, President Kabbah seems to be in good health. He is not overweight. He appears about ten years younger than his physical age of 74. He is not hard of hearing and uses no hearing aids. He wears glasses (he took them off to take notes). His movement is easy and unrestricted. He does not drink or smoke. He has good personal hygeine. He is left handed. While physically, he appears in good health, he showed a very slight tremor in his hands during a September 28 meeting. He has said that he suffers from an enlarged prostate and often interrupts speechs and longer meetings for bathroom breaks. He jokes about the problem, even in front of audiences that include the diplomatic corps. ¶4. (C) President Kabbah's health is not a subject of local speculation. The press in particular can be quite vocal on many issues, depending on their political slant. If there were an issue, they would not be shy about discussing it. Personal Manner and Style ¶5. (C) President Kabbah is friendly and charming and has a sense of humour. At a September 28 meeting, he was alert, engaging and talkative. He is not impulsive and makes no commitments during meetings, but can take decisive action afterwards. He will hold one-on-one meetings and take his own notes that appear related to action items. During conversation, he tends to digress and shows a predilection towards recounting (somewhat related) reminisces, as he did when describing a harrowing tale of an airplane trip from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam during his UNDP career (hence his understandable aversion to air travel). The tale was in response to a question about his travel plans. He does not repeat himself or ramble. He is coherent and has good recall of names and specifics, such as dates. He has a resonant, rich voice in conversation, which is one of the reasons why he is an effective public speaker. His communication in English is fluent and clear. He can be understood easily and his speaking style reflects his excellent U.K. education and career experience. He has a high degree of self-confidence and poise. Leadership Qualities, Effectiveness and Attitudes ¶6. (C) President Kabbah has told the Ambassador at various times over the past two years that he is tired after a decade in office and is looking forward to the end of his term in ¶2007. He has a reputation for being unassuming and allows Vice President Bewera to do much of the day-to-day governing. He works out of his residence ("The Lodge"),and rarely uses State House, located in the center of Freetown. While this contributes to a perception of aloofness, his choice to work from The Lodge is not unreasonable given State House's history as a target of demonstrations and coups. Kabbah often fails to take decisions because he appears to want to balance conflicting views and political pressures. For example, he has been known to ignore advice on the need to fire incompetent and ineffective government officials. Furthermore, while he may seem to support an idea or a policy, he does not use the full weight of the presidency to promote it. In fact, in one account of the war years (the book "How da Body?"),the term "Kabbah" was used by local golfers to refer to a ball that was hit with insufficient strengh to reach the hole. ¶7. (C) He is generally supportive of the U.S. and appreciates U.S. support and engagement in Sierra Leone. The President weilded a shovel at the groundbreaking of the New Embassy Compound (NEC) two years ago and has said he will look forward to participating at the ribbon cutting in November 2006. HULL