FREETOWN, 18 September 2025 — The United States Ambassador to Sierra Leone, David Bryan Hunt, has stepped down from his post effective immediately, according to diplomatic sources.
The U.S. Embassy in Freetown confirmed that Chargé d’Affaires Jared Yancey will serve as the interim head of mission until a new ambassador is nominated and confirmed by Washington.
No explanation has been provided for Hunt’s sudden departure.
Ambassador Hunt, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counsellor, assumed office on 11 September 2023. He brought with him decades of experience in African affairs and senior diplomatic leadership.
Before his appointment to Sierra Leone, Hunt served as Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the U.S. Transportation Command in Illinois and previously directed the Bureau of African Affairs’ Office of South Sudan and Sudan. He also held the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Africa and Sudan at the U.S. State Department.
His overseas postings included Deputy Chief of Mission roles in Mozambique, Guyana, and Papua New Guinea, as well as six years in Pakistan, where he served as Consul General in Lahore and Political Counsellor in Islamabad.
While U.S. officials have yet to comment on the reasons for his resignation, diplomatic observers note that Hunt’s extensive policy background and regional expertise were instrumental during his tenure in Sierra Leone.
Further details are expected as Washington and Freetown await news of his successor.
