The Economic Community of West African States has appealed for calm and restraint from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone following renewed tensions and reported armed incidents along their shared borders.
Recent reports say Guinean soldiers allegedly crossed into Liberian territory in Foya District, Lofa County, firing sporadic gunshots and briefly hoisting their national flag on Liberian soil, weeks after a similar confrontation near the Sierra Leonean border in which several Sierra Leonean security personnel were detained. The incidents have sparked fears of escalation in the Mano River Union region.
In its response, ECOWAS called on all three governments to exercise maximum restraint, avoid inflammatory statements and resolve outstanding boundary issues through dialogue and existing regional mechanisms. The bloc reiterated that only a comprehensive regional approach can restore lasting security along the Guinea–Liberia–Sierra Leone frontier.
The organisation also expressed support for ongoing fact finding and mediation efforts, including earlier ECOWAS and AU border initiatives on the Yenga and Falaba–Faranah axes between Guinea and Sierra Leone. It urged the countries to cooperate fully with these missions and to refrain from any further deployment or action that could be seen as provocative.
ECOWAS further appealed to international partners to back its preventive diplomacy and border stabilisation efforts, warning that unchecked clashes in the area could undermine regional peace, trade and cross border community relations.
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