Sierra Leone MPs Attend Thanksgiving Service Ahead of Mano River Union Parliament Talks
Valentine Benjamin Conteh A delegation from the Parliament of Sierra Leone, led by Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas, took part in a Thanksgiving Service held at Trinity Cathedral Episcopal Church in Monrovia, Liberia.
The event took place ahead of the formal signing of the Monrovia Declaration, which outlines plans to establish a Mano River Union Parliament.
The proposed regional legislative body aims to strengthen collaboration between the parliaments of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire — the four member states of the Mano River Union (MRU).
The Thanksgiving Service was attended by several regional representatives and church leaders, marking a spiritual moment ahead of the anticipated political agreement.
The MRU was originally founded in 1973 by Sierra Leone and Liberia to promote economic cooperation. Guinea joined in 1980, and Côte d’Ivoire became a member in 2008. While the idea of a regional parliament has been discussed for years — first proposed in 2016 — the current declaration signals a major step toward formalizing it.
If established, the MRU Parliament will serve as a platform for harmonizing legislation, promoting peace and good governance, and addressing shared development challenges across member states.