Following Sierra Leone’s capital being plunged into darkness for weeks, The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs has revealed in a twitter post that the 2023 Election Violence And Corruption continue to Hamper MCC Compact for Sierra Leone’s Electricity. They urged that more must be done to solidify the compact/
Most of Freetown’s power comes from a Turkish ship, Karpowership, which switched off the lights over an unpaid $48m (£38m) bill
In a twitter post, the committee states “@MCCgov compact aims to revamp #SierraLeone’s electricity sector, combating chronic blackouts. However, the 2023 election violence & corruption continue to hinder progress toward it. More must be done in order to solidify this compact.,”
The Millennium Challenge Corporation – MCC, has notified the U.S. Congress of its intention to start Millennium Challenge Compact negotiations with the government of Sierra Leone. The notice sent to Congress on April 12, 2024, says negotiations with Sierra Leone may be started on or after 15 days from the date of the said notification. The agreement, if approved by Congress, could be a major boost to Sierra Leone’s economic growth and poverty reduction efforts.
The MCC is an independent US foreign aid agency focused on fighting poverty through economic growth. It provides grants to countries that demonstrate good governance and a commitment to reform.
Sierra Leone’s re-selection for the program comes after a period of uncertainty. In September 2023, the MCC expressed concerns about the credibility of the country’s 2023 general elections, delaying progress on the compact agreement.
However, Sierra Leone was ultimately re-selected in December 2023. This decision was based in part on the country passing the MCC’s Scorecard for the fifth consecutive year. The Scorecard assesses a country’s commitment to good governance.
The upcoming compact is expected to address Sierra Leone’s energy limitations, a major hurdle to economic growth. By tackling this challenge, the program aims to contribute to both economic development and poverty reduction in the country.
Although Sierra Leone has been re-selected to continue Compact Development by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Board of Directors, final approval of the agreement rests with the US Congress.
While progress has been made by the Sierra Leonean government to address concerns about the elections, US Senators Jim Risch and Chris Coons have emphasized the need for continued efforts to meet eligibility criteria.
In a joint statement on December 14, 2023, both senators said that ongoing actions by Sierra Leone’s government and political leaders will play a pivotal role in determining the final outcome, including potential approval of an MCC Compact by the U.S. Congress.
