Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone Leaders to Meet Amid Border Tensions

The presidents of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will meet in Conakry to address recent border tensions, following Guinea’s deployment of troops to its frontier with Liberia. The summit, attended also by Côte d’Ivoire as a witness, aims to resolve disputes over territorial boundaries. Recent clashes have left one person injured, and previous incidents between Guinea and Sierra Leone involved detentions of soldiers, highlighting ongoing regional tensions despite the Mano River Union’s efforts to promote cooperation.

The presidents of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone are set to hold a summit on Monday in Conakry amid rising tensions along their shared borders. The meeting, led by Guinea’s President Mamady Doumbouya, comes just a day after Guinea deployed troops to its frontier with Liberia in response to recent disputes over territorial boundaries. Liberian President Joseph Boakai and Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio are expected to attend the closed-door summit, while Côte d’Ivoire, which shares a border with Guinea, will participate as a “witness country.” The gathering aims to ease tensions and promote dialogue over ongoing border disagreements.
The four countries are members of the Mano River Union, an organization designed to foster free trade, support infrastructure development, and strengthen security cooperation across the Mano River basin. Despite this framework for regional cooperation, recent incidents have highlighted persistent tensions along the borders. On Sunday, Guinea deployed military personnel to the border with Liberia, with images released by the military’s press office showing convoys of military vehicles, pickup trucks, and armoured vehicles positioned outside a military camp. Heavily armed soldiers were seen preparing for deployment, and President Doumbouya personally presented the national flag to the troops before their departure, signaling his commitment to protecting Guinea’s territorial integrity. He declared, “No portion of the land bequeathed to us by our ancestors will be conquered by anyone.”
President Doumbouya, who came to power through a coup in 2021 and was later elected president in December 2025, has been leading efforts to assert Guinea’s claims over disputed territories. In response to the escalating situation, the Liberian government called on its citizens living near the border to remain calm and avoid actions that could inflame tensions. The recent clashes along the border resulted in at least one person being injured, underscoring the fragile nature of peace in the area.
Border incidents are not new in the region. In late February, similar confrontations occurred between Guinea and Sierra Leone, with both sides accusing the other of sending military personnel across the frontier. Sierra Leone further claimed that Guinean troops had detained several of its soldiers and police officers for several days following clashes, fueling mutual distrust. The upcoming summit provides an opportunity for the three leaders to engage directly, address disputes over territorial boundaries, and seek mechanisms for preventing future conflicts, while reinforcing the importance of regional cooperation and dialogue in maintaining stability across the Mano River basin.