By Mabinty M. Kamara
Member States of the Mano River Union (MRU) have in a Joint Communique signed, agreed to Maintain Diplomatic Peace, Security and Democracy in the Sub-region and resolved to engage leaders of the National Committee for Reconciliation and Development in Guinea as well as ECOWAS in order to develop a framework for the return to constitutional rule.
The resolution was reached at a two-day Diplomatic Peace and Security Conference in Liberia held on the 22-23rd of November 2021.
The Union’s Foreign Affairs, Defense Ministers and Chiefs of Defense staff also resolved that the MRU reactivates the peace and security unit and actualization of the revised 15th protocol of the MRU secretariat for the effective operationalization of the regular joint border security patrol. Sierra Leone has offered to chair the operationalization of the joint- security committee and border patrols over the next 18 months.
In addition, the conference called on member states of the MRU and ECOWAS to continue to “uphold the fundamental tenets and values enshrined in their charter to promote good governance, rule of law, and respect for human rights and to fight corruption in all its forms,” it reads.
The two-day conference, according to report from Sierra Leone’s Embassy in Liberia states that Sierra Leone’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Professor David John Francis, reiterated ECOWAS’ common position to support the Republic of Guinea in restoring democracy and the return to civilian rule within the regional bloc’s stipulated timeframe.
He called on the MRU to actively support ECOWAS in its drive and to engage the ECOWAS mediator, Dr Ibin Chambers, and the ECOWAS Chair of the Council of Ministers in the effort to restore constitutionality in Guinea.
Professor Francis affirmed Sierra Leone's commitment to support the work of the ECOWAS mediators in Guinea and Mali as well as the African Union mediators in Sudan.
While speaking about the backdrop of the conference, the Liberian Foreign Affairs Minister who also doubled as Chairman of the conference, Amb. Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr. commended the Foreign Ministers of Sierra Leone and Cote d'Ivoire, the Ministers of Defense and the Chiefs of Defense staff for their commitment to maintaining peace and security in the Mano River basin.
The African Union representative noted that the Union is closely monitoring the situation in Guinea with the view to actively supporting ECOWAS in its strides. The Guinean military on the 5th September 2021 overthrew President Alpha Conde’s civilian government and suspended the country’s constitution. The coup leader Col. Mamady Doumbouya is yet to announce when they will return to multi-party democracy. The coup was condemned by ECOWAS, AU and the UN. Conde’ is still being held by the junta.
Copyright © Politico Online 26/11/21
