Conakry – Liberia’s Foreign Minister, Dee-Maxwell Kemayah, as head of a Mano River Union peace mediation delegation has met Guinea’s interim leader Col. Mamady Doumbouya. The meeting, held behind closed doors at the Guinean Presidential Palace in Conakry, was aimed at holding talks with the Guinea military leader for a peaceful transition back to civilian rule.
The visit was in fulfillment of a recently held meeting of the Secretariat of the Mano River Union on Diplomatic, Peace, Security and Democracy Conference on the political situation in the Republic of Guinea. The meeting was held in Republic of Liberia.
The Sunday’s meeting with the Guinean President was a closed door meeting held at the Guinean Presidential Palace in Conakry. The meeting was also attended by Madam Mardina Wesseh who is the Secretary General of the Mano River Union and Hassa K. Konteh Minister of Defense of Sierra Leone.
In a press briefing, Foreign Minister Kemayah disclosed the willingness of Col. Doubouya and his officials to turnover Leadership democratically through the electoral process, but wants ECOWAS and other regional bodies assist in the development of the road map leading to the transition process.
“We must be clear that col. Doubouya and government remain restless in their commitment to transition through elections to constitutional order in Guinea and that no one in the current leadership will participate in the elections,” Minister Kemayah said.
He added: Col. Doubouya and his team are calling for time in putting together their road map. They think that there should be an understanding in putting together this road map. They are interested in a genuine process to avoid bad consequences.”
The Guinea President also expressed hope that leaders of the MRU countries will understand the situation Guinea is faced with and make representation at ECOWAS for further understanding in giving time to complete its road map that leads them to smooth transition.
Minister Kemayah furthered informed newsmen that the fraternity existing will support Guinea during this period because peace in Guinea means peace in all MRU countries; and that none of the MRU countries will allow their borders to be use for instability in Guinea.
Count four of the MRU communique calls for a Joint Mission comprising the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Ministers of Defense, Chiefs of Defense Staff and the Secretary General of the Mano River Union (MRU) to pay a visit to the Republic of Guinea as early as December 2, 2021 before the next ECOWAS Summit which convenes on December 12, 2021.
The Liberia conference was adopted from separate closed door working sessions of Foreign Affairs Ministers, Defense Ministers and Chiefs of Defense Staff.
During the open and closed door consultations, the participants reiterated their grave concerns about the political situation in Guinea, particularly the unconstitutional removal from office of a democratically elected government, and thereby endorsed and reaffirmed the common position of ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) and pledged support and commitment to the ECOWAS process and transition road map in Guinea.
The conference commended the relentless efforts of H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS and President of the Republic of Ghana to bring about a peaceful and amicable resolution of the situation in the Republic of Guinea.
The Monrovia Conference welcomed the pronouncements and commitment of the National Transitional Council of Guinea to restore constitutional order and return power in the shortest possible time. The delegates further noted with keen interest the focus of the National Transitional Council to fight corruption, initiate reforms and strengthen institutions to sustain an irreversible transition to democracy, governance and constitutional rule in Guinea.
The Conference adopted with great appreciation the policy framework and guide outlined in the keynote address of the President of George Weah who observed the historical threats to the peace, security and stability of the sub region and commended the MRU in its attempt to foster closer working relations with ECOWAS, AU, UNOWAS and other partners to revive the 15th Protocol of the MRU on Peace, Security and Defense; and that this MRU-ECOWAS collaboration should also support conflict management, resolution, peace building and political transformation in Guinea as an added impetus to the proposed revision of the ECOWAS supplementary protocol on Democracy and Good Governance of 2001.
The Conference also adopted the proposal of President of the Republic of Liberia where he called for a merged ECOWAS – AU – MRU Mission to be supported by the UN Peace Building Commission Fund and other international partners, which should be established to support the ECOWAS mediation effort in the current Guinean transitional arrangements being undertaken to prepare Guinea for democratic Elections and the return to Constitutional order. The Secretary General of the MRU was called upon to reach out to ECOWAS, AU, UN, United Nations Peace Building Commission and other partners to foster stronger and more active partnership in peace building initiatives for the MRU, and specifically for its engagement in Guinea.
