UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
52 interests and rights is a process that would qualitatively improve the social and political life of the people of Guinea and enhance development.
Peace consolidation in the Republic of Guinea is examined in the context of the security challenges faced by it as a result of internal and external political developments. Internally, the Republic of Guinea has had a history of coups and repressive government since it gained independence from France in 1958. Externally, the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, the quarter of a century old low intensity Casamance insurgency in Senegal, the drug war in Guinea Bissau, the armed struggle in Cote d‘ Ivoire and the restiveness in Mali all culminated in the flow of illicit arms and refugees into Guinea thereby threatening its security and stability. In spite of these internal and external security threats, Guinea was able to maintain its stability.
Consolidation of peace in this context is therefore, directed at how civil society organizations can support processes and institutions of the state to deliver good governance. These include ensuring voice and accountability, rule of law and reforms.
Guinea has enjoyed relative degree of ‗negative peace‘ because of its governance architecture, but the efforts of CSOs should help transform the ‗negative peace‘ to
‗positive peace‘ through advocacy, reforms, accountability and good governance.
Peace in the context of this study can be viewed through the lens of both negative and positive peace. Negative peace, connotes the absence or fear of violence while positive peace represents the attitudes, institutions and structures that, when strengthened, lead to a more peaceful society. The latter, is the kind of peace that CSOs will work on towards consolidating in the Republic of Guinea.
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
53 signatory and joined the Union in 1980 and Cote d'Ivoire in 2008. The Union derives its name from the Mano River which begins in the Guinea highlands and forms a border between Liberia and Sierra Leone. At its inception, the MRU had primarily economic and trade objectives, which included the following:
Elimination of obstacles to the movement of people and goods.
Common policy of development in the areas of fishery, forestry, etc.
Common programme for transport, communication, and energy production
Promotion of harmonious relation between member states
Determination, establishment and application of investment policies in addition to customs practices
Establishment of a common monetary policy
Determination of common policies on health, arts, sports, culture, and international trade.
The major aim of the MRU abi nitio was to foster economic co-operation with the intent of establishing economic sub-regional integration (Customs and Economic Union between the member states with the view of improving the living standards of its members) and security co-operation.
According to Mano River Union Treaty (1973:3), A Non-Aggression Treaty was signed by the Heads of state of the then three member states. This extended the MRU`s objectives. These extended objectives are classified into short, medium and long terms.
Short-term objectives include:
Restoration of durable peace in the region.
Reinforcement of the activities of the MRU secretariat
Return and reintegration of refugees Medium-Term objectives include:
Encourage the use of the River as commercial and political channel between the three countries.
Creation of a favourable environment for stability.
Long-Term objectives include:
Creation of Economic framework for development of the sub-region
Harmonization in use of the region‘s resources
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
54
Social and political unity.
The original structure of the MRU comprised a Council of Ministers; a Technical Committee; and a Secretariat. The three Heads of the member states at a summit in Conakry signed the 15th Protocol in April 2000 establishing additional structures to address the area of security, with the aim of restoring trust between the countries (MRU, 2000:2-5). These new structures comprised a Joint Security Committee (JSC) a Technical Committee (TC), and a Border Security and Confidence Building Unit (BSCBU).
Below are some basic sign-posts in the history of the MRU:
1973: Signing of the Mano River Union Treaty by Liberia and Sierra Leone;
Introduction of a common external tariff (at the intra-union trade level).
1977: The liberalization in goods of local origin.
1980: Guinea became a signatory and joined the MRU
1981: Decision to rejuvenate the Economic Organization.
1998: The countries of the organization agreed with UNAID to collaborate on a Sub-regional level in order to reduce vulnerability to HIV/AIDS amongst displaced populations and their host communities.
2002: (March) Rejuvenation of the Organization.
2004: (May 20) Reactivation of the Union at a summit of the three leaders of the MRU states at the time. (Presidents Lansana Conté` of Guinea, Ahmed Tejan Kabbah of Sierra Leone and Chairman Gyude Bryant of Liberia).
2008: Cote d'Ivoire became a signatory and joined the union.
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia is currently the Chairperson of the Mano River Union. The MRU Secretariat is in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Regional offices exist in Monrovia, Liberia and Conakry, Guinea. This exposition is necessary in the light of the fact that Guinea cannot operate in isolation. The contiguous nature of the member states and shared commonalities make independent quest for regional stability difficult. This suggests that a threat to peace in any member state is a threat to peace in the entire sub region.
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
55