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The military takeover in Guinea following rapid gunfire at Guinea’s presidential palace on Sunday 5th September, 2021 will have a spillover effect on Sierra Leone.
This is so because Guinea and Sierra Leone share a lot in common, and the sister countries are in some way dependent on each other.
The Coup D’etat led by Mamady Doumbouya has caused border closure from the Guinean side. In the early hours of Sunday, Guinea closed border with Senegal and Guinea Bissau. Such border closure has been extended to the Gbalamuya Border.
The military takeover will also have some negative economic effects on Sierra Leone, as once the Guinea border is closed, Sierra Leoneans businesses which depends on Guinea will be affected. Chances are that Sierra Leonean traders are already caught in the crossfire of the military intervention.
If the Guinea border is not closed, security may be heightened on the Guinean side. This may affect travellers and business people using Kambia-Pamalap route to Guinea, as the putschits may be concerned about all that move into the country.
There is also the concern of some Sierra Leoneans about their relatives in Guinea. Guinea and Sierra Leone are so connected that a family, particularly from the Fula and/or Madingdo tribes, in Sierra Leone has direct relatives in Guinea.
People with families in Guinea may be in constant check about their relatives in Guinea. This is also a concern.
Another direct but subtle spillover effect of the military takeover in Guinea over Sierra Leone is the common controversy among some Sierra Leoneans about who should and should not rule Guinea. While some celebrate the downfall of the Alpha Conde, who was running his third after a controversial election following a change of The Constitution, others see the military takeover as being influenced by tribal sentiment.
It is inevitable that Sierra Leoneans will live without getting some shocks of the military takeover in Guinea.
