Sierra Leone’s government said Tuesday that several members of its security team, including an officer, were apprehended and transported over the border by Guinea’s military, following what it described as a border incident.
In its statement, Sierra Leone said the latest incident occurred on Monday at the border town of Kalieyereh in Falaba district. The government said its armed forces and police were working on “making bricks for the construction of a border post and accommodation facility” for the border post when the apprehensions took place.
Sierra Leone said the weapons and ammunition of the apprehended members were also taken. The government did not provide the number of people it said were taken into Guinea.
The government said it was seeking confirmation of the detainees’ location and their release. “The government is actively engaging through established diplomatic and security channels to confirm their location and secure their safe and unconditional release,” Sierra Leone said.
Sierra Leone said its national flag was hoisted in the town and that the territory is recognized as belonging to Sierra Leone. Guinea’s authorities did not immediately comment on the incident.
The apprehensions come against the backdrop of a dispute that has stretched for more than two decades between the West African neighbors. The conflict traces to the Sierra Leonean civil war between 1991 and 2002, during which Sierra Leone’s government invited Guinea to help defend its eastern borders, but Sierra Leone said Guinean troops did not fully withdraw after the war.
Last year, Sierra Leone also pointed to a separate episode in which Guinea’s military entered a mineral-rich border town in Sierra Leone, drawing regional concerns—setting the stage for renewed tensions along the frontier.