Guinea detains neighbor’s soldiers

Sierra Leonean troops reportedly set up camp and raised their nation’s flag in a disputed border zone

Guinea’s military has confirmed the detention of 16 soldiers from neighboring Sierra Leone, the Guinean Ministry of National Defense reported on Wednesday, claiming they had crossed into the country without approval.

The ministry stated that the troops “set up a tent and raised their national flag” in the Koudaya area of the Faranah border region. The soldiers’ equipment and supplies were seized and an investigation opened by Guinea’s Ministry of National Defense, the statement said.

Sierra Leone’s government has its own version of the story, saying its security team was engaged in construction on Monday in land it regards as sovereign Sierra Leonean territory, when Guinean forces detained the personnel and took their weapons and ammunition.

“At the time of the incident, Sierra Leone’s security personnel were engaged in making bricks for the construction of a border post and accommodation facility intended to support security operations in the area. The Sierra Leone national flag had been hoisted within territory recognized as belonging to Sierra Leone,” Sierra Leone’s Information Ministry stated on Tuesday.

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The border disagreement between Guinea and Sierra Leone is rooted in the Sierra Leonean Civil War, which lasted from 1991 to 2002. During the conflict, Guinea deployed troops to assist Sierra Leone but did not fully withdraw after the fighting ended. This led to ongoing disputes over territory, including the diamond-rich Yenga region.

Tension has flared repeatedly in recent years as both countries assert claims along the boundary. Previous confrontations have involved mutual accusations of illegal crossings by military personnel and disagreements over where the precise frontier lies.

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Relations between the two neighbors have been strained at times. In early 2025, Sierra Leone recalled its ambassador to Guinea after a Sierra Leone embassy vehicle was found with seven suitcases containing substances suspected to be cocaine. Guinean authorities impounded the vehicle and detained its occupants on suspicion of drug trafficking, leading Freetown to bring its ambassador home for consultations. The two governments later signed an agreement to conduct a joint investigation into the incident.