DIB Calls for Strategic, Peaceful Resolution to Border Dispute
Flagbearer aspirant of the All Peoples Congress (APC), Dr. Ibrahim Bangura, has called for national unity and a strategic but peaceful resolution to the escalating border tensions between Sierra Leone and Guinea.
In a press statement issued Tuesday, Bangura expressed deep concern over recent cross-border incidents in Falaba, including developments in Yenga, involving the Guinean military and personnel of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF). Reports of confrontations and the alleged capture of Sierra Leonean soldiers, he said, are “worrying and require urgent attention.”
Bangura declared unwavering support for the State and the country’s armed forces, commending their professionalism and courage in defending Sierra Leone’s territorial integrity. “The sovereignty of Sierra Leone is sacred and non-negotiable. Our borders must be respected, and our national dignity must be upheld,” he stated.
Describing the situation as a critical national security matter, the APC flagbearer hopeful emphasized the need for unity across political lines. He pledged his readiness to work with his party, the Government of Sierra Leone, and all relevant stakeholders to ensure the issue is handled “decisively, strategically, and peacefully” in the supreme national interest.
While affirming Sierra Leone’s sovereign rights, Bangura also appealed to the Government of Guinea to draw on the long-standing historical ties between the two nations. He recalled Guinea’s support to Sierra Leoneans during the civil war, when thousands sought refuge across the border, describing it as a legacy of solidarity that should guide present-day actions.
“Incidents along our shared border, including in Yenga, threaten to undermine decades of regional cooperation and mutual trust,” he warned, urging Guinean authorities to halt any actions that could escalate tensions and to engage constructively through diplomatic and bilateral channels.
Bangura concluded with a call for calm among Sierra Leoneans, urging citizens to remain united and to support national institutions as efforts continue toward a just and peaceful resolution of the dispute.
The situation in Yenga has long remained a sensitive flashpoint in relations between Freetown and Conakry, with periodic tensions testing the resilience of diplomatic engagement between the two West African neighbours.