16-05-2025
Guinean troops trigger panic in renewed Sierra Leone border standoff
A long-running border dispute between Sierra Leone and Guinea has flared again, after a military incident forced villagers to flee and reignited diplomatic tensions between the two West African neighbours.
On 28 April, Guinean soldiers fired three shots in the air as they attempted to enter the village of Sokoma, near Yenga – a mineral-rich settlement that has been contested for more than two decades.
The gunfire caused panic in nearby communities and sent residents fleeing south towards the town of Koindu.
'We heard three gunshots,' local resident Daniel Makundu told RFI. 'People got scared and fled towards Koindu. The next day, the Guinean military prevented any return to Yenga.'
Although calm has returned, local authorities say the situation on the ground remains unstable.
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The dispute over Yenga dates back to the 1990s, during Sierra Leone's civil war.
At the time, the government in Freetown invited Guinean troops to help secure the eastern border. Guinean forces moved into the region but did not fully withdraw after the war ended.
Their continued presence has triggered repeated standoffs and failed diplomatic efforts.
'Every time we engage in dialogue at the highest level, they agree to leave,' Sierra Leone's foreign minister, Timothy Kabba, said.
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