For the first time, the Gola Forest Programme (GFP), together with its counterpart the Across the River Trans-boundary Peace Park Project (ARTP), has officially joined forces with the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) of Liberia to undertake joint patrolling along the border areas between the two countries in an effort to improve collaboration and improve the level of protection to the forests on both sides of the border.
The joint patrols which began on February 14th comes after a GFP Refresher Training Course that was also attended by the Liberian rangers.
Addressing the GFP forest guards and Liberian rangers, the GFP Project Leader Guy Marris, described the collaborative effort as an historic milestone along the road to the successful realisation of the Trans-boundary Peace Park Accord which was signed into existence by the Presidents of both countries in 2009.
The Peace Park aims to establish a protected landscape of over 300,000 hectares of forest on either side of the Mano River – the Gola Rainforest National Park in Sierra Leone and the adjacent Gola and Wonigisi protected areas on the Liberian side – in recognition of its outstanding importance to the conservation of the world’s remaining biodiversity.
Mr Marris added, that “the joint patrols also offer our Liberian counterparts a valuable opportunity to learn tactical strategies, bush craft and wildlife monitoring skills from the experienced GFP forest guards, while improving the levels of protection to the forests along the border areas.” He said that it is the intention of the GFP and FDA to continue with collaborative efforts in patrolling and also in other areas such as research, monitoring and management planning, in the interest of further developing the Trans-boundary Peace Park.
The GFP Superintendent of Park Operations, Tamba Vandi, called on the forest guards and rangers to “discharge their functions to the best of their knowledge, by putting into practice what they have learnt during their recent training”. He called on them to carry out their duties professionally at all times and to ensure that the human rights of any detainees are always respected. He concluded by asking all present to “work as one unit because you all are working towards the same goal in protecting the forests in both countries.”
The Supervisor of GFP Park Operations, Charles Conteh, told the forest guard-ranger team that “by working as a team it will send a clear message to the public that the governments of both countries are committed to protecting the forests within the Trans-boundary Peace Park”.
Mohamed M. Massaquoi GFP Supervisor Park Operations says the joint patrols will be along the border areas including Nomo in Liberia, Giema in Malema Chiefdom in Sierra Leone, Money Camp in Liberia, Mogbaima in Malema Chiefdom in Sierra Leone and Kongo in Liberia and Wunde in Makpele chiefdom in Sierra Leone.
The ranger team leader from Liberia, El-amara Konwah, says he came to Sierra Leone together with Augustine S. David, Terrance P. Davis and D. Tunita Faiju all from the Forest Development Authority (FDA) of the Republic of Liberia. He disclosed that their visit to Sierra Leone is very important and good for the Trans-boundary Peace Park saying they have gained a lot in their area of discipline and capacity building. He thanked the Government of Liberia and Sierra Leone, the GFP/ARTP and their donors for supporting conservation in both countries. He requested that the idea of joint patrols be extended to the Mano River basin of Guinea and Ivory Coast.
By Saffa Moriba
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