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The Defence Spokesman of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), Air Commander Hassan Sei Coomber, has confirmed that Guinean military forces have arrested several Sierra Leone security personnel along the border in Falaba District.
Coomber made the confirmation in an interview on Radio Democracy on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, after reports of the incident went viral on social media the previous day.
According to initial reports from Bilal Mansaray, a reporter at Radio Shalom in Koinadugu District, the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, February 23, in Kaliyereh Village, Sulima Chiefdom, Falaba District.
Reports indicate that Sierra Leone security personnel had mounted a checkpoint at Kaliyereh Village, which is within Sierra Leonean territory. However, Guinean forces objected to the checkpoint, claiming the land belongs to Guinea and demanding GPS coordinates to prove Sierra Leone’s ownership of the area.
The Sierra Leone personnel reportedly insisted on maintaining the checkpoint, leading to their arrest. Sources indicate that 13 individuals were taken into custody, including two Operational Support Division (OSD) officers from the Sierra Leone Police and 11 military personnel .
A video circulating on social media, posted by Sierra Leonean politician Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, shows injured Sierra Leone officers recounting the incident.
One individual identified as a Sierra Leone Army Lieutenant described sustaining severe injuries during the confrontation, including a stab wound near his eye and a pierced ear. He alleged that the attackers “carpeted all our colleagues, including our captain identified as Francis”.
An OSD officer appearing in the footage confirmed the capture, stating emphatically, “They have captured our men; this is not a joke anymore” . The officers expressed fears of encirclement, prompting their retreat from the area .
According to early reports, the arrested personnel have been taken to Conakry, the capital of Guinea.
As of Tuesday afternoon, neither the Guinean authorities nor the Sierra Leone government have issued official statements regarding the incident beyond the Defence Spokesman’s confirmation.
Falaba District shares an extensive 794-kilometer border with Guinea, a region historically prone to security challenges and cross-border incidents.
The disputed Yenga area, located along the Makona River border in Kailahun District, has been a particular flashpoint for decades. Guinean forces occupied Yenga during Sierra Leone’s civil war (1991-2001) and remained there long after . Despite multiple agreements—including a 2005 memorandum of understanding recognizing Yenga as Sierra Leonean territory and a 2012 demilitarization agreement—tensions have persisted.
In March 2025, officials from both countries reached a milestone agreement on producing boundary documents, with technical committees examining historical treaties, diplomatic exchanges, and maps dating back to 1885. However, the latest incident suggests underlying tensions remain unresolved.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has mediated similar disputes in the past, has not yet commented on the reports
Our Ecowas Chairman needs to take a robust action against the Guinea government in order to de-escalate the situation we’re having now with them.. how Soja fr arrest soja ?
Which type of chairman is fake brigadier is this so call maada bio he is playing with the life of our children father and son we know very well that he has agreed with mamadi Dumbuya to hold on to this borders issue so that he can stay I power . All he is waiting for is war yo break out between the two countries so that election will be suspend. God is bigger than any thing in this life.