Mano River Union

Mano River Union
Logo of the Mano River Union of the Mano River Union
Logo of the Mano River Union
Members of the Mano River Union
Members of the Mano River Union
SecretariatFreetown, Sierra Leone
Membership(1) Cote d'Ivoire, (2) Guinea, (3) Liberia, and (4) Sierra Leone
Leaders
• Secretary-General
Simeon M-B. Moribah, Liberia
Establishment
• Mano River Declaration
3 October 1973 (51 years ago) (1973-10-03)
• Reactivated
2004 (20 years ago) (2004)
Website
www.mru.int

The Mano River Union (MRU) is an international association initially established between Liberia and Sierra Leone by the 3 October 1973 Mano River Declaration.[1] It is named for the Mano River which begins in the Guinea highlands and forms a border between Liberia and Sierra Leone. On 25 October 1980, Guinea joined the union.[2]

The goal of the Union was to "accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural advancement of our two countries ... by active collaboration and mutual assistance in matters of common interest in economic, social, technical, scientific and administrative fields".[1] However, due to internal conflicts within the two original MRU countries (the Sierra Leone Civil War [1991-2002] and the First [1989-1997] and Second Liberian Civil Wars [1999-2003]), these objectives could not be achieved.[3] The staff numbered 600 in 1986, but was down to 300 in 1993, then to 120, and 48 in 2000.[4]

On 20 May 2004, the Union was reactivated at a summit of the three leaders of the Mano River Union states: Presidents Lansana Conté of Guinea and Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of Sierra Leone and Chairman Gyude Bryant of Liberia. On 15 May 2008, Côte d'Ivoire agreed to join the union.[2]

  1. ^ a b "No. 13608 (Mano River Declaration)" (PDF). World Bank.
  2. ^ a b "MANO River Union Capacity Building and Technical Assistance for Institutional Strengthening". African Development Bank Group.
  3. ^ Nelson, Sue; Bassene, Mathias (June 2003). "Mano River Union Conflict Assessment and Peacebuilding Results Framework" (PDF). United States Agency for International Development.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Consultancy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).