Cote d’Ivoire to Host 2nd Session Of Joint Chiefs & Elders Meeting

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Monrovia, January 12, 2016: The Governments of Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire will hold the Second Session of the Joint Council of Chiefs and Elders Meeting (JCCEM) in Cote d’Ivoire from January 16-18, 2016, acting Internal Affairs Minister Varney Sirleaf has disclosed.

Addressing the Ministry of Information press briefing on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Sirleaf noted that the meeting is slated for the western Ivorian City of Guiglo, and is intended to foster bilateral relations, cultivate and share culture and guarantee common border trade between the two countries.

He noted that the commission has been inactive due to the insecurity that affected both countries.

According to Sirleaf, the concept of a Joint Council of Chiefs and Elders meeting was evolved to enhance peace and security that remains fragile at the borders of the two countries, in spite of progress made over the period.

“It will also highlight efforts by both governments to stabilize the region through genuine peace and reconciliation,” he added.

The first JCCEM session held in October 2013 in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County   brought together Presidents Ellen Sirleaf and Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire along with 108 leaders, traditional chiefs, women groups and elders from both countries.

The acting Internal Affairs Minister said the JCCEM initiative aims at enhancing cooperation, peace and security through regular cross-border meetings, confidence building measures and sharing of information between citizens residing in border communities of the two countries.

He added that President Sirleaf and her Ivorian counterpart Alassane Ouattara are expected to grace the session.

Meanwhile, Sirleaf has commended the U.N. Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and the Carter Center for their collaboration in planning the upcoming session.