Photo: Glenna Gordon/UNHCR

An Ivorian refugee gets a lift on a motorbike taxi to the Liberian town of Zwedru.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan has affirmed that the diplomatic relations between Liberia and Ivory Coast remains friendly despite the cross boarder incident that recently took place on the Liberia Ivory Coast Boarder.

Speaking to a reporter in a Truth FM Radio Breakfast show on Tuesday, Minister Ngafuan said the diplomatic relation between both countries remains in good faith, adding that authorities of the two countries are focused on identifying the perpetrators of the recent incident.

Minister Ngafuan further noted that the government of Liberia is exerting every effort to put any concern of insecurity at its border with Ivory Coast under the full control of the security apparatus of Liberia. He said in no way that government could ignore or take for granted the recent incidents at the Liberian and Ivorian Boarder, adding that any problem of such in one Mano River Union country would concern the rest of the other member countries, especially the recent one in the Ivory Coast.

Minister Ngafaun: "with the recent cross Boarder incident in Ivory Coast, Liberia needs to help put that fire under control because fire has no border."

Meanwhile some Liberians, mainly business people, remain stranded in Ivory Coast as a result of the incident which caused the Government of the Liberia to immediately close its border with Ivory coast.

Minister Ngafuan maintained that the closure of the border was intended to enable the Government of Liberia to bring the security situation at the boarder under its full control. He promised that the border will soon be re-opened for normal activities although there will be a careful monitoring of the movement of people. The Foreign Minister did not however indicate when exactly the Liberian side of the boarder will be reopened

It can be recalled that Seven Niger UN peacekeepers serving in the Ivory Coast and more than 40 Ivoirian civilians have been killed by armed men who recently attacked Ivory Coast. The armed men reportedly crossed into that country from the Liberian side of the border into the southwestern part of the Ivory Coast.

The Liberian and Ivorian Governments along with the UN missions in both countries have launched major security operations along the border in order to track down the perpetrators.

In the same vein as a further measure to ensure stability in the two countries, the government of Liberia has declared 10 men wanted by the government of Liberia for questioning. Four of the ten wanted men have already turned themselves over to Liberian security while six are yet to be arrested by the government.