President Akufo-Addo has received the credentials of the new U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, who has officially started her work in Accra.
Stephanie Sullivan replaces Robert Porter Jackson, who departed as ambassador after serving since February 2016.
Robert Jackson, will begin his retirement after leaving Ghana at the end of 35 years of service to the United States.
Speaking at the brief ceremony at the Jubilee House, Stephanie S. Sullivan thanked the President for the warm welcome to Ghana.
She said the US-Ghana partnership focused on advancing economic growth and trade, strengthening regional security, and improving governance.
The Ambassador expressed her commitment on behalf of the U.S. government to support Ghana’s journey away from dependence on traditional development assistance, in line with President Akufo-Addo’s vision of building a “Ghana Beyond Aid.”
Ms. Sulivan underscored the long-standing ties between the two countries, highlighting a relationship that goes beyond policy, and spans across families and friendships forged through cooperation and exchanges dating back to Ghana’s independence in 1957, and before.
She is a career member of the US’ Senior Foreign Service, having served for 32 years.
Stephanie Sullivan is no stranger to Ghana as she served as the Political Chief at the US Embassy in Accra from 1997 to 2001.
She is coming off a tour as the Ambassador to the Republic of Congo from 2013 to 2017.
She has spent half of her 32-year career in the foreign service working in Africa or on Africa policy in Washingon D.C.
The diplomat has also served as the acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs after serving as the Assistant Secretary for Central African Affairs and Security Affairs from August 2017.
She and her husband John Sullivan have fond memories of living in Ghana with their two sons. Ambassador Sullivan’s early experiences in Africa were with the Peace Corps, serving as a volunteer in the Democratic Republic of Congo (1980-1983) and later as Peace Corps Chief of Operations for the Africa Region from 1994-96 in Washington, D.C.
Sullivan graduated from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classics and from the National War College with a Master of Science in National Security Strategy.
She speaks English, French, Lingala, and some Spanish.
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Source: Citinewsroom.com
