Guinea Detains 16 Sierra Leone Soldiers in Border Dispute

Guinea's military has detained 16 Sierra Leonean soldiers, accusing them of unauthorized entry into its territory along the shared border, in the latest escalation of a decades-old territorial dispute between the two West African nations.

The incident occurred on Sunday in the Faranah border region, according to Guinea's Ministry of National Defense. Officials stated that the soldiers entered the district of Koudaya without permission, set up a tent and raised Sierra Leone's national flag about 1.4 kilometers inside Guinean territory. Guinean forces seized the soldiers' equipment, supplies, weapons and ammunition, and an investigation is underway. Guinea's army chief urged defense forces to remain mobilized to protect territorial integrity.

Sierra Leone's government presented a contrasting account, asserting that the detained personnel were operating on sovereign Sierra Leonean land in the Falaba district town of Kalieyereh. The joint security team, which included at least one officer, was making bricks for a new border post and accommodation facility when Guinean troops crossed over and apprehended them on Monday, according to a statement from Freetown. The Sierra Leonean...