Diplomatic Briefing
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Newsline: US to spend $180 million to build embassy in Mauritania
In an important symbol of our enduring friendship with the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, U.S. Charge d ’Affaires Eunice Reddick broke ground on the new U.S. Embassy in Nouakchott. The new Embassy will be situated on a 10.5-acre site in the Tevragh Zeina district and will include a chancery, warehouse and maintenance facilities, a utility building, multiple access pavilions, and community facilities. When completed, the new complex will provide Embassy employees with a secure, modern, and environmentally sustainable workplace. The $181 million project will incorporate numerous sustainable features, including the Department’s first major wind-powered turbine for an American Embassy; emissions-free power through the use of the 50 kW wind turbine and a 185 kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic array; an onsite water treatment plant for irrigation reuse; and light-emitting diode (LED) site lighting. The facility’s design targets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2017 and will be constructed by Caddell Construction Company of Montgomery, Alabama.
Newsline: Western countries shut down embassies over ‘specific and significant’ al-Qaeda threats
The British, German, Dutch and French embassies in Yemen will be closed over ‘increased security concerns’, the European countries have announced. They blamed an ‘increased threat’ from al-Qaeda. France will close its embassy in Yemen for several days, while Germany and Britain will close theirs for two days on Sunday and Monday. Previously the French Foreign Ministry has said that the Embassy would only be shut on Sunday. Germany also warned its citizens from traveling to the country and that the situation there “is uncertain in the future”. The British embassy in Yemen will close temporarily after escalating violence and terrorist threats, the Foreign Office said Friday. While the Embassy will operate with an “essential staff,” all other British citizens were advised to leave Yemen. The British Foreign Office, which announced the Sana’a embassy would be closed from August 4 to 5, is in close contact with US officials. Meanwhile, US embassies will be closed in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Canada meanwhile has announced that its embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh would be closed on Sunday for the “safety and security of our personnel.” The Dutch embassy will also be closed on Sunday, according to Al Jazeera.
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