The city mayors of Ganta in Liberia and Danané in Côte d'Ivoire have pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation aimed at strengthening cross-border trade, improving security coordination, and ensuring the free movement of goods and citizens between the two communities in line with the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement.
The commitment was made during high-level discussions held in Ganta on June 27, 2026, between Ganta City Mayor Samuel S. Hardt and his Ivorian counterpart, Mayor Karlifa Lancine Diabaté, who both described the engagement as a key step toward reinforcing economic integration and restoring smoother trade flows along the busy Liberia-Côte d'Ivoire border corridor.
The talks focused on enhancing trade relations, addressing challenges faced by cross-border traders, and strengthening cooperation between local authorities and security institutions on both sides of the frontier.
Mayor Hardt underscored the need to remove barriers that continue to affect traders, particularly issues related to alleged extortion and harassment along the route on the Ivorian side of the border. He said easing such challenges would improve livelihoods and stimulate economic activity in both cities, especially in Liberia, which is still recovering from the impact of years of civil conflict.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
"Please talk with your security to minimise the extortion of money from our traders using the route," Mayor Hardt said, urging coordinated action to protect traders and ensure fair treatment along the corridor.
He also highlighted the historical bond between the two communities, recalling Danané's role during Liberia's civil war when thousands of Liberians sought refuge in Côte d'Ivoire.
"Danané was so hospitable for thousands of Liberians who sought refuge there -- most of them were able to travel abroad and today they have become bread winners and building the nation," he said.
"We still have that great regard for the people of Côte d'Ivoire and Danané in particular; therefore we need a movement to enable the citizens to interact freely -- with no or little security fear," Hardt added.
The Ganta mayor stressed that improved freedom of movement would benefit traders on both sides of the border, allowing smoother exchange of goods and services between Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire.
"We want both our citizens to have easy travel between the two cities -- where traders from Côte d'Ivoire can come and easily attend to business in Ganta and also the Liberians too can get to Danané and do business and return in peace," he said.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
In response, Mayor Karlifa Lancine Diabaté praised his Liberian counterpart for hosting the engagement and reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening cooperation between the two cities.
He acknowledged the importance of addressing the concerns raised by Liberian traders and pledged to engage relevant security authorities to resolve challenges affecting cross-border movement.
"The people of Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire are one people, so we are going to have a meeting with our security to identify the problem and solve it together so our citizens will move freely," Diabaté said.
He also commended the level of development in Ganta and reiterated his administration's readiness to enhance trade relations and deepen cooperation between the two border cities.
Mayor Diabaté was accompanied by his deputy and senior officials of the Danané city administration during the visit.
The meeting builds on a history of growing collaboration between the two municipalities. Last year, a delegation from Danané City visited Ganta to strengthen ties, and subsequently, the Ganta City leadership made a reciprocal visit to Côte d'Ivoire aimed at addressing trade bottlenecks and improving relations along the border corridor.
The Ganta-Danané corridor remains a vital route for the movement of agricultural produce and assorted goods between the two countries and continues to serve as an important link for regional trade under ECOWAS integration frameworks.
