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The foreign ministers of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone met on 22-23 August to identify the factors that have led the three countries to the brink of war. The ministers constitute a Joint Security Committee their governments recently set up to ease the tension between them.
The director general of Sierra Leone's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shar Sund, told IRIN that the meeting, held in Freetown, was a follow-up to talks last week in Monrovia, Liberia, between the foreign ministers who "are due to meet again on 10 September."
These talks could eventually lead to a peace summit. Guinean President Lansana Conte had previously refused to meet his Liberian counterpart, Charles Taylor. Each has accused the other of supporting dissidents trying to overthrow his government.
In recent years, Guinean and Liberian troops have separately engaged dissident forces in their respective territories. Fighting appears to have died down in Guinea but rages on in northern Liberia. Liberia's government has also been accused of backing rebels in Sierra Leone.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
