AYV News, March 24, 2026
The National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Centre (NEWRMC) commended Heads of State of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia for signing a communique after the tripartite meeting dedicated to peace, security and development convened in Conakry on Monday, March 16, 2026.
The tripartite meeting which brought together His Excellency General Mamadi DOUMBOUYA, President of the Republic of Guinea; His Excellency Joseph Nyuma BOAKAI, President of the Republic of Liberia; His Excellency Brigadier (Rtd) Dr. Julius Maada BIO, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone; and the special representative of the President of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire.
This summit held aimed at preserving stability along common borders, strengthening security cooperation, and consolidating neighbourliness among the three brotherly countries. It is therefore assessed to be a demonstration of strategic leadership and political will in ensuring peace, stability, regional security and international cooperation are enhanced.
According to the Executive Director of NEWRMC Mrs. Francess Nyuma, “NEWRMC welcomes the signing of the communique by the Heads of State. For NEWRMC, dialogue is a sustainable, low-cost mechanism for addressing the root causes of conflict; whereas conflict is a destructive, high-cost endeavour that almost always ends in negotiation anyway,”.
Mrs. Francess Nyuma recalled that from January 2021 to May, 2025, the centre generated at least six (6) early warning reports on issues of major border infractions posing threats to security, stability and peace in the Mano River Basin. She also recalled NEWRMC joining national and international partners to border disputed areas between Sierra Leone and Guinea and emphasized the need for all parties to arrive at an amicable resolution to the dispute.
She called on al parties to exercise restrain and comply with the signed communique in the interest of all parties.
In a Press Release dated 12th March 2026, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) called for restraint and the peaceful resolution of border disputes within the Mano River Basin.
In response to these developments, the ECOWAS Commission committed to deploying a technical assessment mission to evaluate the situation between Guinea and Sierra Leone in the Yenga border area. Recent developments along the Lofa border between Guinea and Liberia, which add new complexities to existing territorial sensitivities in the Mano River Basin, compelled the Commission to expand the geographical mandate of the technical mission and to undertake additional diplomatic engagements to ensure a comprehensive assessment of all areas of current and potential friction.
The National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Centre (NEWRMC), otherwise known as the National Centre for the Coordination of Response Mechanism (NCCRM) is a national/state entity that serves public interest and has the mandate to initiate, coordinate and track response activities within the context of human security and peace.
