Mano River Union (MRU) Secretariat says it has established additional two Joint Border Security Confidence Building Units (JBSCBUs) along the Liberia and La Cote
D’voire borders summing them to 38 out of the 40 units as planned.
The exercise, according to a release, is part of efforts to ensure the prevalence of sustained joint regional peace and security between and amongst the MRU countries.
On March 25, 2025, the MRU Secretariat met in Zouan-Hounien (Zounwea) Prefeteur to establish the Joint Units for Buutuo/Zouan–Hounien borders as part of its mandate to ensure regional stability, which remains the core responsibility of the MRU.
The meeting was graced by development high profiled partners and the local authorities, including Madam N. Christaine Umutoni United Nations Resident Coordinator-Liberia Representing the SRSG (Special Representative of the Secretary General) Unowash. E. Madam Fanta Cisse, Resident Representative of Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) in La Cote D’Ivoire, Madam M’brah A. George Eorgette, Ambassador of La Cote D’Ivoire to Liberia and Sierra Leone, Madam Ange Konanv-Monnu and the Deputy Secretary General representing the Secretary General of the MRU.
Others were the Sous-Prefets of Zouan-Hounien and Bin-Houye (Benwea) as well as the Deputy Mayor for the Town of Zouan-Hounien.
Both Zouan-Hounien and Bin-Houye are nearby Ivoiran towns to Liberia.
According to the release, the meeting witnessed the elections of the leadership from both Buutuo (a border town in Liberia) and Zouan-Hounien that will form part of the Joint Border Units the MRU Secretary has established.
Out of the 40 JBSCBUs, the MRU has successfully established 38 with funding support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) thereby immensely contributing to the improvement of the climate of peace and security in these border communities.
The MRU Secretariat has described the establishment of the additional two JBSCBUS as “break through,” especially at a time when regional peace and security remains very cardinal.
The MRU is an international association initially established between Liberia and Sierra Leone by the October 3, 1973 Mano River Declaration.
It is named for the Mano River which begins in the Guinea highlands and forms a border between Liberia and Sierra Leone.
On October 25, 1980, Guinea joined the union, thus bringing it members to four.
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