Guinea’s military has confirmed the detention of 16 soldiers from Sierra Leone, accusing them of crossing into Guinean territory and raising their national flag.
According to Guinea’s Ministry of National Defense, the soldiers entered Koudaya district in the Faranah border region without authorization, set up a tent, and hoisted their flag. Authorities said the troops’ equipment and supplies were also seized.
Sierra Leonean officials stated that members of a security unit, including an officer, were apprehended while making bricks for a border post in the Falaba district.
The two countries have been locked in a border dispute for over two decades, dating back to the Sierra Leonean Civil War. During the war, Sierra Leone invited Guinean troops to help secure its eastern borders, but tensions persisted after their partial withdrawal.
Last year, Guinean forces entered a mineral-rich border town in Sierra Leone, further straining relations.
SOURCE: TRT AFRICA
