Introduction to the Mano River Union Countries

The Mano River Union, established in 1973 between Liberia and Sierra Leone and joined by Guinea in 1980, had as its main objective a customs and economic union between the member states in order to improve living standards, cross border ties and trade.

The Mano River region has great natural resources: fertile soil, rich forests and mineral resources, and an abundance of water, together with close cross border links through shared language, culture and history. Adequately harnessed and administered, these assets could be a powerful driving force for economic growth in the West African region as a whole. The Mano River Union also represents an important regional effort at breaking down colonial demarcations and legacies, the root cause of many of the problems, which exploded into recent civil wars and inter-regional conflicts lasting more than a decade. As a result, there has been massive human suffering, social dislocation, and the destruction of what was once a flourishing regional economy.

On August 23rd 2001, defence and security ministers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone agreed on the deployment of joint border security and confidence building units to involve all the people of the MRU and discourage the proliferation of arms and munitions. They further agreed to create material and psychological conditions that would encourage the repatriation of refugees; to re-establish in the secured areas, the free movement of goods and people; to create an effective programme on information education and communication for the benefit of their respective populations on the culture of peace and the objectives of sub-regional integration; to establish a network of frequent contacts and exchange of security intelligence among member states; to encourage member states to pursue the ongoing disarmament process in the sub-region: to support the Mano River Women Peace Network with its efforts at restoring and consolidation peace and stability in the sub-region. They also expressed their commitment to seeking the necessary financial support in order to make all the organs of the MRU operational.

Regional conflict in the area halted development of the union for more than a decade, but with peace now consolidated in Sierra Leone and restored to Liberia, efforts are underway to fully engage in the terms of the Union. A one-day summit of Heads of State of the Mano River Union was held on 20th May 2004 in the Guinean Capital, Conakry, with the three leaders of the Mano River Union States, Presidents Lansana Conte of Guinea, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and Chairman Gyude Bryant of Liberia expressing their commitment to support all initiatives aimed at the promotion of confidence-building measures and security in the sub-region, in order to strengthen cooperation amongst member countries and speed up their integration and sustainable development.

The 2004 report from the United Nations Mission to Sierra Leone indicates that the Government has made significant strides in facilitating the consolidation of peace in the country and the overall security environment has remained stable. The Mission provides training to the Sierra Leone police to raise professional standards and new recruits have been trained and deployed. The UK has provided $5.1 million to support the communication and logistical needs of the army. State administration structures are being decentralised and the establishment of local councils nationwide has improved the system of local government. UNAMSIL, the UN country team, and the Government have put in place a repatriation programme for the reintegration of Sierra Leonean combatants returning from Liberia. Particular attention is being paid to the repatriation and reintegration of child soldiers, and the process of family tracing and reunification has begun. The human rights and justice system has gradually improved. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is on course and the chances of it completing its assignment on schedule look promising. A law reform commission has been established to review existing laws and made recommendations for the repeal, amendment, or enactment of new laws. In June 2003, the UN ban on the sale of Sierra Leone diamonds expired and was not renewed. The Government has continued to expand its control over diamond mining. Official exports of diamonds from January to July 2004 totalled US$81 million compared to US$ 42 million in the same period in 2003. It was recommended that the mandate of the UN Mission to Sierra Leone be extended to June 2005 to ensure the further stabilization of the country and sub-region.

In Guinea, the overall security situation remains calm, since Guinea has stabilising factors that distinguish it from its neighbours. These include the restructuring of the security forces, the absence of hate media and a sense of nationalism.

On August 11th, 2003, under U.S. and international pressure, President Taylor of Liberia resigned office and departed into exile in Nigeria. Businessman Gyude Bryant became president of a new power-sharing government. Since then, the first of two years of the current transitional government have passed remarkably well. There has been positive progress made towards stabilizing the country and creating the necessary conditions for the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Despite sporadic fighting, the disarmament exercise is deemed a success. Since November 2004, possession of illegal arms has become a criminal offence, and disarming and demobilizing combatants has been almost completed, apart for some remote pockets of fighters patiently waiting for their exchange deal. The deployment of UNMIL (United Nations Peace Mission in Liberia) forces throughout the country is also nearing completion.

The Mission's new phase of operations will focus on: rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-combatants; community development; the restoration of State administration nationwide; the strengthening of the rule-of-law institutions and restructuring of the security sector; promotion of the process of recovery and reconstruction; and the organization of free and fair elections in October 2005. These will be the first near-perfect elections in Liberia's 150 years of existence. Economic activity is expected to pick up further from the relatively slow 2004 recovery, as there is optimism that not only this episode of civil war and regime change is definitely past, but that the parameters are there to ensure longer term development the like of which has not been seen since the 1970s.

On September 3rd 2004, Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Guinea reiterated their resolve to launch a common currency, the Eco in 2005. President Lasana Conte of Guinea is chairman of the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ), formed in 2000 to try to establish a strong stable currency for the sub-region to ease cross-border payments, trade and investments. The eventual goal is for the CFA franc and Eco to merge, giving all of West and Central Africa a single stable currency.

Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea all provide the basic rights to mine and export minerals, hold foreign exchange in foreign bank accounts without restriction, and allow duty free importation of mining equipment. All three countries offer a fiscal package of royalties, corporation taxes, and deductible expenditure in line with attractive emerging markets' mining investment codes.

Conclusions

Within Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, there is now confidence that adequate security arrangements are in place, not only to ensure continued peace and stability but also to allow economic activities to recommence throughout the sub-region.