UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said on Friday that he was pleased at recent progress made by officials from Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia towards restoring peace to the Mano River Union (MRU), which comprises the three countries.
He added that he welcomed a proposed MRU presidential summit to be held early next year. The UN, Annan said, would "support the MRU member states in their common efforts to create the necessary for enhancing and disseminating a culture of peace in the sub-region".
The Mano River Union is an organisation created in 1973 to strengthen ties between the three countries. However, years of civil war in Sierra Leone and Liberia and instability in Guinea have severely affected peace, strained relations between the three, and rendered the union virtually defunct.
Their foreign and defence ministers have been holding talks to improve ties and the security situation. Their efforts, combined with other initiatives, should culminate in the proposed summit between presidents Ahmad Tejan Kabbah (Sierra Leone), Lansana Conte (Guinea) and Charles Taylor (Liberia).
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