President Julius Maada Bio has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to “urgently create a special committee to look into the unsolved Yenga matter between the two countries through diplomatic engagement with a view to finding a lasting solution to this long-standing boundary dispute”.
He was addressing the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State a few days after reports appeared on social media that Guinean forces had mounted an incursion and attempted to erect boundary lines in the disputed town.
The president described Yenga as “the undisputed sovereign territory of Sierra Leone” which he said had been occupied by Guinean forces since the end of the civil war in this country in 2002 which they had come to help contain.
Bio told the 58th ordinary session of ECOWAS leaders by video conference that his country was also “concerned about the restrictions imposed from the Guinean end on the free movement of goods and people between the two countries thereby creating huge economic loss for both countries”. He urged the government of the neighbouring country to remove all restrictions “to enable the free movement of people, goods and services in order to promote cooperation, regional trade, and regional integration.”
Sierra Leone’s Chief of Defence Staff, Lt Gen Sullay Ibrahim Sesay told Politico that they had heard reports that during a road construction work leading to Yenga, a land demarcating block was knocked down. The Guineans came from across the stream that had long been the border between the two countries and tried to re-erect it.
The Lt Gen said that they attempted to send in troops but were advised by the local authorities who said that they wanted no armed confrontation and would try to defuse the tension themselves.
In the end the Guinean administrative authorities, backed by Guinean troops, succeeded in re-erecting the block.
Reports from the area say it is still tense with the presence of Guinean soldiers.
The authorities in Guinea closed the border with Sierra Leone after their presidential elections in October 2020. Hundreds of passengers and vehicles are stranded on both sides of the border with goods perishing. A meeting at the border between the two countries in December was called off at the last minute on the orders of Conakry.
On other matters Bio commended the ECOWAS Commission for paying 30% of the money required for the “construction of phases two and three of the Lungi Logistics Depot and the signing of the contract with the supervising firm.” He said he hoped that work could resume and that there would be no further delays.
He said the “COVID-19 pandemic slowed down economic activities in our respective countries thus impacting sub-regional economic growth. It is therefore necessary to implement measures to rekindle trade, boost economies and thus enhance regional economic stability in the community.”
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