The chair of the Mano River Union (MRU), Guinea Junta Leader, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya has placed a hold on the scheduled handover of outgoing MRU Secretary General Ambassador Medina Wesseh.
Amb. Wesseh was expected to handover the Secretary-General position on Monday, November 7, to Mrs. Maria G. Harrison, who was appointed by President George Manneh Weah few months ago but the ceremony could not be held due to Guinea expressing reservation over a breach in protocol, thus leading Guinea to postponed the handover ceremony indefinitely.
Diplomatic sources say the postponement of the handing-over ceremony was based on the request of Guinea’s Foreign Affairs Minister to have it slated for a later date.
The MRU comprises four countries: Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast. Guinea currently holds the chairmanship, while Liberia appoints the Secretary-General.
Amb. Wesseh who was appointed by former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf tenure had expired and was expected to hang over to Mrs. Harrison on October 15.
There had been speculations that she had refused to hand over to her successor, thus prompting a directive from the Liberian Government requesting that she hand over by the 15 of last month.
“There are protocols and procedures which guide such a turning over ceremony and all countries must be guided by such, and this calls for consultation with the chair who is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guinea,” a source explained.
Sources say the move by Guinea to stop the handover ceremony only points to a diplomatic mess caused by the Liberian Government adding that this poses a serious diplomatic embarrassment for the country.
