The United States Ambassador to The Gambia, C. Patricia Alsup, has wrapped up her tour to The Gambia with a farewell call on President Adama Barrow on Tuesday, September 18, at the State House in Banjul.
In her meeting with President Barrow, Ambassador Alsup highlighted the strength of Banjul – Washington ties, and reaffirmed the United States government’s continued support to The Gambia’s democratic transition.
During her three-year tour, relations between Banjul and Washington witnessed robust and expanded developments in many areas. Bilateral ties were strengthened in the areas of governance and institutional development, health, security, trade, and education. The major highlights included the restoration of Gambia’s eligibility to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) program, the selection of The Gambia – the only country in 2017 – for the Threshold Program of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), and the comprehensive health sector assessment by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Ambassador’s tour also witnessed several high-level US exchanges, including a congregational delegation visit led by Senator Christopher Coons, and the recent visit by the Deputy to the Commander for Civil-Military Engagement at the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM).
In a related development, on Tuesday, September 18, the U.S. Embassy staff also honored Ambassador Alsup’s decades of service with the U.S. Department of State during a farewell at the chancery.
Alsup was nominated by President Obama as Ambassador to the Republic of The Gambia on June 8, 2015. She was confirmed by the Senate on October 8, 2015 and was sworn in on October 30, 2015. Ambassador Alsup arrived in The Gambia on Friday, November 6, 2015 and presented her credentials on Monday, January 11, 2016. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Ambassador Alsup will be retiring after 26 years of distinguished service.
Ambassador Alsup joined the Foreign Service in 1992, after working in the private sector in market research, strategic planning, and economic development. Her assignments since joining the State Department have included Special Assistant in the Office of the Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs, Desk Officer for the Eastern Caribbean in the Office of Caribbean Affairs, and as Director of the State Department’s Office of Central African Affairs. She served as Deputy Chief of Mission twice – at the U.S. Embassy in Banjul, The Gambia and at the U.S. Embassy in Accra, Ghana.
