Conakry – Guinea’s prime minister on Thursday played down border tensions with neighbouring Sierra Leone, promising that the issue would be “completely resolved” soon.
Guinea’s army then charged that it was in fact Sierra Leonean soldiers who crossed into their territory.
In Conakry, Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah told reporters the issue was being tackled through diplomacy. “The situation will be completely resolved during the day,” he added.
Bah added that Guinea was open to “any discussions concerning border issues but… also prepared to do whatever is necessary to preserve its national territorial integrity”.
Guinea and Sierra Leone share a border of more than 700 kilometres (435 miles).
In April and May last year, troop movements on both sides of the border caused panic and concern among local people.
The latest incident took place in the village of Yenga, which has been contested for more than 20 years. Sierra Leone claims it but Guinean soldiers are still on the ground there.
Both countries belong to a number of regional groupings such as the west African bloc ECOWAS and, with Liberia and Ivory Coast, the Mano River Union.
Picture: X/@mad95
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Source: AFP
