Gambiaj.com – (FREETOWN, Sierra Leone) – The government of Sierra Leone on Tuesday accused the army of Guinea of crossing its northern border on Monday, arresting Sierra Leonean soldiers and police officers, and seizing “their weapons and ammunition” following what it described as a confrontation, according to a statement from Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Information.
The Guinean government has not yet responded to the allegations.
“The Government of Sierra Leone confirms that on Monday, February 23, members of the Guinean Armed Forces crossed the border into the frontier town of Kalieyereh, in Sulima Chiefdom, Falaba District (north), where Sierra Leonean soldiers and police officers were deployed,” the statement said, as published on social media.
“At the time of the incident, Sierra Leonean security personnel were engaged in brick-making activities for the construction of a border post and accommodation facilities intended to support security operations in the area,” the statement added.
According to the government, the Sierra Leonean flag “had been raised on territory recognized as belonging to Sierra Leone.”
“During the confrontation, the Guinean Armed Forces apprehended several members of the joint security team, including an officer, and transported them across the border into Guinean territory,” the statement continued.
“Their weapons and ammunition were also seized,” it added.
Freetown said it is “actively using established diplomatic and security channels to confirm their location and secure their unconditional and safe release,” according to the statement.
The incident was captured in a video circulating on social media, posted by one Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray.
According to statements made in the video, a Sierra Leone Army lieutenant sustained serious injuries during the confrontation. The officer stated that he was stabbed in the face close to his eye and that his ear was pierced during the attack.
Speaking in the video, the lieutenant further alleged that the attackers “carpeted all our colleagues, including our captain, identified as Francis.”
Guinea and Sierra Leone share hundreds of kilometers of border.
Both West African countries are members of several regional organizations, including the Economic Community of West African States and the Mano River Union, which also includes Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire.
