Guinea has displayed it strong troops across the country following its recent border disagreement with neighobur Liberia.
The exercise was undertaken following brewing border dispute with neighbours earlier this month.
The confusion rocked the two countries after Guinean soldiers raised flag at the Sorlumba Border Point amid sand-mining dispute.
According to reports, Guinean soldiers briefly raised tension along the Liberia–Guinea border early March, after crossing the Makona River and hoisting their national flag at the Sorlumba Port of Entry in Foya District, Lofa County.
Local reports say the soldiers entered the area to stop sand-mining operations by BK Enterprise Inc., arguing the Makona River falls within Guinean territory. The soldiers halted the work and seized the company’s equipment.
Liberian officials later arrived and held nearly eight hours of talks with the Guinean side, requesting the release of the machinery used for sand extraction to support development projects.
Guinean authorities agreed to release the equipment but insisted that all mining activities in the river must stop while officials from Guinea’s Ministry of Mines and Geology assess the site.
In response to Guinean soldiers who crossed the Makona River earlier in the morning and hoisted the Guinean flag on Liberian soil, residents of Foya have also raised the Liberian flag near the same location.
The Liberian flag was hoisted close to the Guinean flag at the Sorlumba Port of Entry in Foya District, signaling the residents’ assertion of Liberia’s presence and sovereignty in the area.
Both sides say they will continue diplomatic engagement to ease tensions over the long-standing boundary and resource dispute along the Makona River. Nothing much has been heard about this until today’s show of force by the Guineans.
Facebook/Gifty Boateng