Inspection of Embassy Banjul, The Gambia (ISP-I-02-30)
With no immediate U.S. interest present in The Gambia and with an inauspicious environment for an effective dialogue with the host government, Embassy Banjul should have as its goal raising the public profile of the United States through public diplomacy in ways that would highlight the significant assistance the United States is providing to the people of The Gambia. Current embassy resources are sufficient for this purpose. Reporting on internal developments is more than adequate, but more could be done on other matters of interest to Washington readers like The Gambia?s role in regional problems. Embassy Banjul must contend with deterioration in The Gambia?s basic infrastructure, spending a significant amount of time and energy generating electricity and air conditioning and maintaining vehicles. As in other embassies in the region, the number of American staff is small. Staff should be assigned taking into account experience and professional expertise, especially with respect to consular and administrative affairs. Embassy Banjul has improved its security posture significantly since the establishment of a RSO position in 1999.
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