Local Catalysts, Global Reactions. Cycles of Conflict in the Mano River

The Mano River Basin, comprising Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Guinea, faces fragile peace threatened by the movement of displaced people, failed post-conflict reintegration, and illicit trade. While UN peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone and Liberia have seen success with DDR processes, the region remains a concern for the West due to links between resource trade and terrorism, such as Al Qaeda's diamond trade with the RUF. The author argues that sustainable peace requires a shift in focus toward the dynamics of displacement and international trade rather than solely reacting to terrorist threats.

• Threats to peace and stability in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire are primarily driven by three interlinked factors: the movement of displaced persons, the failure to reintegrate these populations post-conflict, and the impact of illicit trade.
• There is a documented link between the region's resource wealth and global terrorism, specifically noting that Al Qaeda engaged in diamond trading with the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks.
• UN peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) and Liberia (UNMIL) have successfully implemented Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) processes, challenging the notion that these conflicts were impossible to manage through peacekeeping.

APA

Weiss, T. (n.d.). Local Catalysts, Global Reactions. Cycles of Conflict in the Mano River. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-118-local-catalysts-global-reactions.-cycles-of-conflict-in-the-mano-river-taya-weiss

Chicago

Weiss, Taya. Local Catalysts, Global Reactions. Cycles of Conflict in the Mano River. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-118-local-catalysts-global-reactions.-cycles-of-conflict-in-the-mano-river-taya-weiss.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Weiss |first1=Taya |title=Local Catalysts, Global Reactions. Cycles of Conflict in the Mano River |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-118-local-catalysts-global-reactions.-cycles-of-conflict-in-the-mano-river-taya-weiss |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{weissndlocal, author = {Weiss, Taya}, title = {{Local Catalysts, Global Reactions. Cycles of Conflict in the Mano River}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-118-local-catalysts-global-reactions.-cycles-of-conflict-in-the-mano-river-taya-weiss}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }