ECOWAS raises alarm over border tensions between Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone

The Economic Community of West African States has expressed concern over rising tensions along the borders between Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, urging the countries involved to exercise restraint and resolve their differences through peaceful dialogue.

In a statement issued on Friday, the regional bloc said it was closely monitoring the situation and had decided to deploy a technical assessment mission to evaluate developments along the disputed Yenga.

According to the Commission, the move follows growing concerns over tensions between Guinea and Sierra Leone in the Yenga border region, an area that has long been sensitive due to historical territorial disagreements.

ECOWAS also noted that recent developments along the Lofa County border between Guinea and Liberia had introduced additional complexities to the situation, prompting the Commission to expand the geographical scope of its assessment mission.

The organisation said the expanded mission would allow it to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of current and potential areas of friction within the Mano River Basin, a region known for its history of cross-border tensions and cooperation among the three neighbouring countries.

“The ECOWAS Commission is deploying a technical assessment mission to evaluate the situation between Guinea and Sierra Leone in the Yenga border area,” the statement said.

It added that the Commission had also begun diplomatic engagements with the affected countries in order to gather more information and help ease tensions in the region.

ECOWAS urged all the countries involved to exercise maximum restraint and immediately take steps to de-escalate the situation.

The Commission also called on the governments to respect internationally recognised boundaries, avoid unilateral actions that could undermine bilateral relations, and prioritise dialogue through ECOWAS-facilitated diplomatic channels.

The regional body reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with the authorities of the affected countries to promote cooperation and ensure lasting peace and stability in the Mano River Basin.

According to the Commission, ECOWAS remains dedicated to fostering mutual respect, dialogue and peaceful coexistence among its member states for the benefit of citizens across West Africa.