The Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, Madam Jewel Howard-Taylor will depart Monrovia on June 28, 2022, for a weeklong official visit to the sister Republic of Sierra Leone.

This is according to a media release from Liberia’s Office of the Vice President.

The release states that, “Under the invitation of the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Mrs. Fatima Bio, Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor will be attending the 10h Africa Conference on Sexual and Health Rights and deliver a solidarity statement at the opening ceremony on the theme: “Accelerating the Elimination of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Africa”, in the Sierra Leonean capital of Freetown.”

Hosted by Purposeful organization and with the Sierra Leonean First Lady as Chief Patron, the conference brings together more than 900 participants from across the continent, including Liberia, to engender discussions on the issues of sexual health, human rights, gender-based violence, and the empowerment of women and youth.

The release further noted that, “While in Sierra Leone, Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor will hold meetings with her Sierra Leonean counterpart, Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, other top officials of the Government of Sierra Leone, the Ambassador and staff of the Embassy of Liberia in Freetown and Liberian Students at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.”

Liberia and Sierra Leone have had long-standing diplomatic relations; historically, both Nations are the homes of descendants of freed slaves and share similar political history of civil conflicts. The two countries signed a “non-aggression” pact in 2007, paving the way for more cordial diplomatic relations.