Monrovia — Mr. Tiéné Birahima Ouattara Ivory Coast’s Minister of Defense and a brother to the President had arrived in Monrovia via a private jet on Sunday for the high-powered meeting bordering on security in the Mano River Union (MRU) region, but he left after a very brief tête-à-tête with his counterparts on Monday.
The MRU comprises Liberia, Ivory Coast, Guinea and Sierra.
Mr. Ouattara’s sudden departure raised eyebrows among reporters and others present who were provided no explanation.
His departure was amid speculations that Liberia and neighboring Ivory Coast have in recent time had sour relationship, especially bordering on security.
It can be recalled that in April some three Liberians believed to be mercenaries were killed by Ivorian soldiers when they reportedly attacked a military base in Abidjan. Several others were arrested but were released in May after Liberia’s Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah’s engagement with the Ivorian authorities.
The Liberian government expressed regret over the attack and stated that it would not support any move to would create instability in the region.
However, Minister Ouattara’s premature departure on Monday signaled to some that there are lingering issues yet to be resolved by the two countries for which he could not remain in Liberia for the regional security meeting.
But explaining his sudden departure, Liberia’s Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism informed FrontPageAfrica that Liberia and Ivory Coast enjoy very good ties and remain good partners.
He said, “There’s no strain between Liberia and Ivory Coast. The Ivorian Defense Minister and his team came on a charter flight. He met with President Weah at his residence and then proceeded to the meeting to explain to his counterparts why he couldn’t stay for the meeting. And that was because they had some issues in Ivory Coast and he was needed there.”
Minister Rennie, however, did not say what the emergency was. “You know Ivory Coast has been having some security issues,” he said.
The MRU Regional Security Meeting
The meeting of Ministers of Defense and Chiefs of Defense Staff under the auspices of the MRU Secretariat in collaboration with the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) ended in Monrovia with a communique aimed at combating security threats in the sub region.
Its objective was to enhance cross border cooperation of Member States in the MRU region, ensure a common approach to addressing growing security threats, particularly terrorism in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic; and to review the gaps in the revised 15th protocol on Peace, Security, and Defense of the MRU so as to properly situate the regional security architecture within the framework of current realities in the sub region.
According to the communique issued by the participants, the meeting noted with satisfaction that, despite the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Member States have made some significant strides in addressing the shocks on its economies and efforts to safeguard the livelihood of the peoples in the region. On the other hand, it deplored the violent terrorist attacks recorded in some Member States of the MRU region.
It was also emphasized, according to the communique that the meeting reviewed the current security structures of the MRU Secretariat, and advised on the need for Member States to ensure a common strategy in preventing and addressing the growing security threats especially terrorism by activating and strengthening the joint rotational meeting of the Joint Security Committee (JSC), and the Technical Committee (TC), and operationalizing the Joint Border Security and Confidence Building Units (JBSCBUs) to a more optimal and realistic level.
The meeting welcomed the joint approach involving UN-System, ECOWAS and other development partners which helped in many ways to ease tensions in Member States of the MRU region.
The communique further stated that after due consideration of the issues discussed, the meeting resolved among other things that the meeting of the Joint Security Committee(JSC), Technical Committee (TC) and the Joint Border Security and Confidence Building Units (JBSCBUs) is reactivated, that Member States ensure coordination at national levels, that Member States develop a sub-regional counterterrorism strategy drawing inspiration from ECOWAS and that Member States should encourage regular meetings between Security Intelligence agencies.
The participants expressed satisfaction with the commonalities of proposals from Member states and the convergence of views on all the issues and concerns raised and were happy with the spirit of mutual understanding and cordiality that prevailed throughout their deliberations. They further emphasised the need for Member States to support the MRU in the implementation of the plan of action developed in addressing and preventing security related threats, particularly growing terrorism spill over risks to the subregion.