ABIDJAN, JUNE 11, 2026 – the African Union Commission (AU) and the Mano River Union (MRU) Secretariat, have commenced a high-level Political Engagement in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in a decisive move to accelerate one of the African Union’s flagship projects- Silencing the Guns initiative.

The two-day dialogue will focus on strengthening community participation and placing women’s leadership at the centre of peace and security efforts across the MRU region.

The MRU region, comprising Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire, continues to face persistent security challenges, including the cross-border movement of armed groups, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, and recurring localised tensions along porous borders.

While community members, particularly women, are often the first to observe signs of escalating violence, their knowledge remains largely excluded from formal reporting and policy mechanisms. This engagement seeks to bridge that gap by establishing a structured, community-based monitoring network of trained local volunteers, with a strong emphasis on women’s leadership.

Key objectives of the engagement will be to strengthen AU-MRU coordination to ensure women’s full inclusion in security and political decision-making; establishing a regional network of trained volunteers to monitor and report gun violence incidents; developing actionable recommendations for gender-responsive preventive diplomacy; and reinforcing political commitment to achieving a violence-free Africa by 2030.

It is expected that the project will enhance early-warning response capacities, improve cross-border cooperation, and renew momentum toward the Silencing the Guns targets, which will be achieved, grounded in women-driven, community-based peacebuilding approaches.

The Abidjan meeting will convene approximately 33 participants, including representatives from the MRU Secretariat, the four MRU Member States, the AU High Representative for Silencing the Guns, ECOWAS, ISS, and UNOWAS.