By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
The Liberia National Bar Association has expressed fear over the growing wave of insecurity on the African continent, mainly in West Africa.
The LNBA made the expression when she joined her counterpart at the Africa Bar Association Annual General Conference in Pretoria, South Africa.
“At this annual general conference, the LNBA joined the AfBA to express its indifference with the growing wave of insecurity in Africa, especially in the West African region and vehemently condemned the recent unconstitutional takeover of government by the military in Niger and called for the unconditional restoration of constitutional rule in Niger.”
The conference was held under the theme: “Building the Legal Profession in Africa under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA)” lawyers on the continent agreed at the conference that without a continental market under AfCFTA, Africa could remain as an insignificant player in global trade.
It states that the African Bar Association stance demonstrates the strength and backbone that Africa desperately seeks from respected institutions to protect and lead Africa to absolute greatness.
With the recent thematic discussion around the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, it was predicted that by 2050, Africa will input its economic potential to 29 Trillion, thus elevating 30 million people to the better standard of living and increasing the income of 68 million people.
In a communication issued by the LNBA on August 28, 2023, the LNBA says, the recent annual conference of the African Bar Association in South Africa was convened to position AfBA as the fearless voice of the legal profession in Africa.
Meanwhile, during the opening session of the conference, the National President of the Liberian National Bar Association LNBA, Cllr. Sylvester D. Rennie and a member of the LNBA, Cllr. Edjerah Edwina Barchuewere both admitted as members of the Governing Council, the highest organ of the African Bar Association.
The two were admitted for their long standing roles in enhancing rule of law in Liberia and the African Continent at large.
Prior to AFBA conference, with renew efforts to uncompromisingly enhance the rule of Law in Liberia and the African Continent at large the LNBA Leadership on August 1 to 3, 2023 in Accra Ghana. Also, theyparticipated in the Annual General Conferences of the West Africa Bar Association WABA in Accra, Ghana.
The Bar revealed that the conference of the West Africa Bar Association was held under the theme: “Promoting Democratic Consolidation through the respect of the rule of law and human rights: Leveraging the role of Bar
Associations”.
The meeting which brought together the Leaderships of Bar Associations and legal Practitioners in the West African sub region, was to enhance their roles to the challenges of human rights and rule of law that continueto significantly impact democratic consolidation, good governance, sustainable peace and development in the region.
The LNBA avers that, WABA has been active in a number of areas including research, training and evidence- basedadvocacy within four broad programme frameworks namely: Continued Legal Education Program, Legal Aid and Gender, Governance and Human Rights and integration and external Linkages.
It further provides that the WABA has leveraged its vast membership to sustain advocacy against actions by national authorities that undermine the rule of law, respect of human rights and democratic principles.
“Through these actions, WABA has established important institutional and strategic partnerships with key bilateral and multilateral stakeholders including UN, AU, ECOWAS, Diplomatic Corps, Civil society organizations and Community based organizations.”
Meanwhile, at the conference, it was agreed upon that a committee of three would be set up and drawn from Anglophone, Francophone and Luxophone regions to make up the transitional committee to oversee constitutional amendments and the election of Executive Officers of WABA.
The President of the Sierra Leonean Bar Association, Michaela Barbaro Eddinio Swallow was elected as head of the Transitional leadership of WABA.
Also at the conference, the Liberian delegation was openly praised, after all Francophone Countries staged a walk out as a result of differences with the Secretariat of WABA over the conduct of the conference. It took the Liberian delegation’s conflict resolution and mediation skills to break the impasse at the conference.
