The ECOWAS Parliament has called for the establishment of a fact-finding committee following grave accusations that Guinean armed forces crossed into Sierra Leonean territory and apprehended 13 military personnel.

The allegations were brought before an Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament on February 24, 2026, by Hon. Saa Emerson Lamina, a Sierra Leonean Member of Parliament and Leader of Government Business 2.

According to Hon. Lamina, Guinean forces breached Sierra Leone’s territorial integrity on February 23 by entering Kaliyereh Village in the Sulima Chiefdom of Falaba District, Northern Sierra Leone. During the alleged incursion, 13 personnel of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF)—including a Captain—were reportedly assaulted, captured, and trafficked to Conakry, Guinea.

During his submission, Hon. Lamina presented geographical and GPS evidence, asserting that the disputed area unequivocally falls within the jurisdiction of a sitting Sierra Leonean Member of Parliament, thereby validating the country’s sovereign claim over the territory.Hon. Lamina framed the recent event as part of a troubling pattern of border-related friction between the two West African nations. He highlighted previous incidents to underscore the urgency of the situation:

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February 23, 2026: The recent incursion at Kaliyereh Village in the Falaba District.

Invoking Article 4(d) of the ECOWAS Parliament’s mandate, which obligates members to promote regional peace, security, and stability, Hon. Lamina stressed that while the ECOWAS principles of free movement and labor mobility are crucial, they must not compromise a member state’s sovereignty and national security.

Rather than calling for military retaliation, the Sierra Leonean legislator advocated for strengthened military diplomacy and structured cooperation among ECOWAS member states to resolve cross-border disputes peacefully.

To emphasize the danger of regional complacency in the face of sovereignty violations, Hon. Lamina quoted the famous post-World War II confession by German theologian Martin Niemöller:

“First, they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

He warned the regional bloc that while Sierra Leone is currently at the center of this border dispute, any member state could find itself in a similar predicament if regional solidarity and the rule of law are not actively upheld.

Following the presentation, the Rt. Hon. Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Memounatou Ibrahima, responded by calling for the immediate formation of a fact-finding committee.

The committee will be tasked with gathering detailed, independent information regarding the situation in the disputed area to guide the Parliament’s subsequent actions.