Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06FREETOWN809
2006-09-29 14:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Freetown
Cable title:  

HEALTH OF PRESIDENT KABBAH OF SIERRA LEONE

Tags:  PINR SL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHFN #0809/01 2721444
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 291444Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY FREETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0351
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

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