AYV News, December 9, 2025
The Sierra Leone Police (SLP) delegation, led by the Director of Operations, AIG Dr John Martin Senesie, has successfully concluded a five-day Strategic Working Session with the Liberia National Police (LNP). The engagement formed part of ongoing efforts to actualise the bilateral security communiqué jointly signed by the Inspectors General of Police of Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The week-long session brought together senior law enforcement officials from both countries to develop a comprehensive roadmap aimed at strengthening cross-border security cooperation. Deliberations focused on several priority thematic areas, including:
1. Prevention of cross-border crime and enhanced intelligence sharing
2. Joint training and capacity-building programmes
3. Promotion of community policing best practices
4. Cybersecurity, human trafficking, and combating transnational organised crime
5. Establishment of the Mano River Union Police Chiefs Committee (MRUPCC)
Significant progress was made on a draft implementation document intended to guide operational collaboration in these areas. The initiative is expected to reinforce collective security mechanisms within the Mano River Union (MRU) Basin and deepen institutional ties among police institutions.
In addition to the technical working sessions, the SLP delegation paid a series of high-level courtesy visits to key state institutions and diplomatic partners in Liberia. These included engagements with:
His Excellency Ambassador Eddie Sidikie Massally, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Liberia
The Honourable Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, Jeremiah Kpan Koung
The Mayor of Monrovia, His Lordship John-Charuk Saah Siafa
During the visit to the Monrovia City Corporation, Mayor Siafa also hosted the visiting Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, USA, His Lordship Ras J. Baraka and his team. Both mayors expressed strong appreciation for the joint bilateral security partnership and highlighted the deep cultural and historical bonds shared between Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The delegation also met with other senior stakeholders, who reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with the Sierra Leone Police. They emphasised the importance of coordinated security efforts in fostering peace, stability, and professional policing across the MRU region. The Liberian Police leadership described the collaboration as a natural foundation for deepening the cultural ties and shared aspirations between the two nations.
AIG Dr Senesie, speaking on behalf of the SLP delegation, underscored the importance of sustained collaboration in addressing shared security challenges. He noted that the outcomes of the working session would contribute meaningfully to regional peacebuilding, crime prevention, and enhanced law enforcement coordination.
The successful conclusion of the Strategic Working Session marks a renewed chapter in the long-standing partnership between the SLP and the LNP. Both institutions have pledged to accelerate the implementation of the agreed roadmap in the months ahead.
