Guinea Detains 16 Sierra Leonean Soldiers Amid Long-Standing Border Dispute

Guinea has detained 16 Sierra Leone soldiers, accusing them of crossing into its territory and raising their flag, while Sierra Leone says the troops were on its land building a border post. The incident stems from a decades-long border dispute, particularly over the diamond-rich Yenga region. Sierra Leone is pursuing diplomatic channels and involving regional bodies to secure their release, while Guinea has called its forces to remain mobilized to protect territorial integrity.

Guinea’s military has officially confirmed the detention of 16 Sierra Leone soldiers, claiming that they crossed into Guinean territory and raised their national flag, escalating tensions in a long-standing border dispute between the two West African nations. According to Guinea’s Ministry of National Defense, the soldiers entered the district of Koudaya in the Faranah border region without prior authorization on Sunday. While there, the soldiers reportedly set up a tent and hoisted their national flag approximately 1.4 kilometers inside Guinean territory. The ministry added that the soldiers’ equipment and supplies were seized and that an investigation has been launched to determine the full circumstances of the incursion.
Sierra Leone, however, has offered a markedly different version of events. The government asserts that its joint security team was engaged in construction work, making bricks for a new border post and an accommodation facility in Kalieyereh, Falaba district. Sierra Leone maintains that this location is within its sovereign territory and that the troops were performing legitimate duties when Guinean forces crossed the border and detained them. The West African nation also confirmed that weapons and ammunition carried by its personnel were confiscated during the incident.
This latest episode is rooted in a border dispute that has persisted for decades, dating back to Sierra Leone’s civil war from 1991 to 2002. During that conflict, Guinean troops were deployed to assist in fighting rebels but did not fully withdraw after the hostilities ended, leaving unresolved questions over territorial claims. The dispute is particularly sensitive in the diamond-rich Yenga region, which both countries continue to claim as their own. Over the years, this area has been a flashpoint for diplomatic tensions and sporadic confrontations between the two nations.
In response to the detention, Freetown has engaged in diplomatic efforts to secure the "safe and unconditional release" of the detained personnel, including at least one officer. The Sierra Leonean government has briefed regional organizations such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Mano River Union, both of which have dispatched fact-finding missions to assess the situation on the ground. The diplomatic approach aims to resolve the matter peacefully while safeguarding Sierra Leone’s territorial sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Guinea’s army chief has issued directives to the country’s defense forces, urging them to remain fully mobilized and vigilant to defend and protect the nation’s territorial integrity. The incident underscores the fragility of the border situation between Guinea and Sierra Leone and highlights the ongoing challenges in resolving historical disputes that involve strategic and resource-rich areas. Both countries now face pressure from regional actors to de-escalate tensions and find a mutually acceptable resolution to avoid further confrontations.