NATIONAL NEWS
MONROVIA – Joseph Nyuma Boakai has departed Liberia for the Guinean capital, Conakry, to participate in a high-level meeting aimed at addressing growing tensions along the Liberia–Guinea border in Lofa County.
The meeting will bring together President Boakai, Guinean leader Mamadi Doumbouya, and Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio as regional leaders seek to ease tensions and strengthen peaceful border management within the Mano River Union region.
By: Trokon S. Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
The diplomatic engagement follows recent incidents in the Sorlumba area of Foya District, Lofa County, where residents and local authorities have reported confrontations between Guinean soldiers and Liberian civilians near the border.
According to local sources, tensions escalated after Guinean troops reportedly crossed into Liberia ‘s territory in Sorlumba, a border community in the county.
The meeting in Conakry is expected to provide a platform for the three West African leaders to discuss the dispute and reinforce mechanisms for peaceful border management among Mano River Union member states.
Also expected to attend the discussions is the President of Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, who will participate as a witness country, reflecting broader regional interest in maintaining stability along the interconnected borders of Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone.
The border region serves as an important corridor for trade and cross-border movement among the Mano River Union countries, making stability in the area critical to local livelihoods and regional cooperation.
President Boakai is accompanied by a high-level Liberian delegation that includes Foreign Affairs Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Minister of State without Portfolio Mamaka Bility, National Security Advisor Samuel Kofi Woods II, Internal Affairs Minister Francis Nyumalin, National Defense Minister Geraldine Janet George, and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia Davidson F. Forleh.
Members of the Liberian delegation are expected to engage their regional counterparts in discussions aimed at strengthening dialogue, preventing further escalation, and ensuring that countries within the Mano River Union remain committed to preventing border disputes.
While President Boakai is away, Minister Samuel Stevquoah will chair the Cabinet in consultation with the President.
