MRU/AFDB JOINT MISSION PAYS COURTESY VISIT TO ECOWAS RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE IN SIERRA LEONE

MRU/AFDB JOINT MISSION PAYS COURTESY VISIT TO ECOWAS RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE IN SIERRA LEONE

A joint delegation of the Mano River Union (MRU) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) Fragility Observatory Appraisal Mission led by Madam Ange Konan-Monu, Deputy Secretary General, Peace and Security of the Mano River Union paid a courtesy visit to the ECOWAS Resident Representative Office in Sierra Leone (ERRO-SL) on 30 June 2026. The delegation was received by Ambassador John Azumah, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Sierra Leone.

The visit formed part of ongoing consultations on the proposed Fragility Observatory for Resilience and Regional Stability, a sub-regional initiative intended to strengthen fragility monitoring, early warning, resilience analysis and evidence-based decision-making in the Mano River Union space.

During the engagement, the MRU and AfDB representatives briefed the Resident Representative on the background, objectives and expected institutional architecture of the proposed Observatory. They noted that the initiative builds on the recommendations of the 2022 MRU Fragility and Resilience Assessment and seeks to support regional and national actors in better identifying and responding to emerging risks to peace, stability and development.

Ambassador Azumah welcomed the initiative and reaffirmed ECOWAS commitment to close collaboration with MRU and AfDB in the areas of early warning, preventive diplomacy, resilience-building and regional stability. He stressed the importance of aligning the proposed Observatory with existing ECOWAS early warning mechanisms, particularly ECOWARN, to promote coherence, avoid duplication and strengthen the link between early warning and early response.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to exchange views on broader peace, security and development challenges in the MRU sub-region, including cross-border vulnerabilities, food insecurity, climate-related risks and the need for development interventions that contribute to social cohesion and regional integration.

ERRO-SL expressed readiness to facilitate further technical engagement between MRU, AfDB, relevant Government of Sierra Leone institutions and the ECOWAS Commission. The meeting ended with a shared commitment to sustained cooperation in advancing regional resilience and stability.