Sierra Leone and Guinea have agreed to strengthen cooperation on border security, civil registration and the fight against transnational crime following high-level discussions between the two countries.

The development was disclosed by Minister of Internal Affairs, AIG (Rtd) Morrie Lengor Esq., on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, during the Ministry of Information and Civic Education’s weekly press conference in Freetown.

Lengor said discussions with Guinean authorities focused on security and other cross-border issues affecting both countries, including human trafficking, human smuggling and drug trafficking.

The talks also addressed challenges faced by Sierra Leonean citizens living in Guinea, particularly those relating to identification and documentation.

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Minister Lengor stressed the importance of Sierra Leoneans living outside the country obtaining proper civil documentation to establish their identity and nationality.

“If you do not have any papers or documentation, how is somebody going to know that you are a Sierra Leonean? How can they help you?” he asked.

He said the discussions therefore included measures to ensure that the National Civil Registration Authority properly registers citizens.

According to the Minister, inadequate documentation can make it difficult to establish the identity and nationality of Sierra Leoneans, particularly when they require assistance during emergencies or while living abroad.

The recognition and use of the ECOWAS national identity card in Guinea was also raised during the discussions.

Lengor said some Sierra Leoneans had encountered difficulties using the ECOWAS card in Guinea, including when accessing banking and other services.

He said the matter was brought to the attention of the Guinean authorities, with both sides agreeing that further discussions would be needed to address the challenges.

The discussions also followed earlier engagements involving Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia under the Tripartite Agreement.

Lengor said the countries recognised the need to maintain momentum on issues that had already been discussed and agreed upon.

“We have to bring those issues into the meeting, make sure that they are accepted and accelerate the implementation. We should not forget the issues that we have already agreed upon,” he said.

He disclosed that the Foreign Ministers of the countries would work with the Mano River Union (MRU) to facilitate and fast-track a follow-up meeting on commitments reached during the Tripartite discussions.

On the fight against organised crime, Lengor disclosed that Sierra Leone had identified cases involving people being transported across borders without proper documentation.

He said the situation had raised concerns about possible human trafficking.

In response, a team comprising INTERPOL, the Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force and the Transnational Organised Crime Unit was sent to Guinea to work with Guinean authorities and security services.

“We have sent a team from INTERPOL, the Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force and the Transnational Organised Crime Unit to Guinea to work with the Guinean authorities and security services to investigate,” Lengor said.

The Minister warned individuals and groups involved in facilitating such activities that the Government would take action against them.

“From now going forward, we are not going to tolerate that, and anybody who gets involved will be arrested and dealt with according to the law,” he warned.

The latest discussions form part of broader efforts by Sierra Leone and Guinea to strengthen cooperation along their shared border, address transnational security threats and improve coordination between their respective authorities.