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Three regional leaders expressed concern on Tuesday over continuing instability in the Mano River Union region but welcomed the progress in disarming and demobilising rival militia in Sierra Leone, news organizations reported.
Presidents Alpha Omar Konare of Mali and Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of Sierra Leone met in Abuja at the invitation of their Nigerian counterpart, Olusegun Obasanjo, the Nigerian Television Authority reported. It did not say why the meeting was convened at this time but it comes as the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone continues to project its presence in that country and succeeds in disarming a growing number of fighters from irregular forces.
The meeting also occurs as sporadic fighting continues between dissidents and government troops in Lofa County, northern Liberia. The leaders also discussed border fighting between Guinea troops and rebels from Sierra Leone, saying these conflicts could have wider regional repercussions. Fighting between dissident forces and the authorities in Guinea’s Parrots Beak, a thumb of land that juts into eastern Sierra Leone, has led to the displacement of tens of thousands of civilians. Similarly, the fighting in Lofa has lead to the displacement of at least 41,000 as of 24 July, the Norwegian Refugee Council reported on Monday.
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