Freetown, Sierra Leone – February 27, 2026 — Guinean authorities have released all 16 detained Sierra Leonean security personnel — a mix of soldiers from the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) and officers from the Operational Support Division (OSD), following successful negotiations led by Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Alhaji Timothy Musa Kabba.
The personnel, who had been held since Sunday, February 23, are now safely under the care of Minister Kabba and the high-level Sierra Leonean delegation in Conakry, Guinea.
Official statements from Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Information and Civic Education confirmed the handover, describing it as a “decisive display of leadership” and a triumph of diplomacy.
The release comes just days after tensions flared along the contested border in the Kaliyere area of Falaba District (known as Koudaya in Guinea’s Faranah Prefecture). Guinea’s military claimed the Sierra Leoneans had crossed approximately 1.4 km into its territory without authorization, set up a tent, and raised the Sierra Leonean flag.
Sierra Leone maintained that its personnel were operating within recognized national territory while constructing a border post when Guinean forces crossed the line and apprehended them, seizing equipment in the process.
This latest incident is part of a decades-long border dispute between the two West African neighbors, particularly over the mineral-rich Yenga area and surrounding villages. Similar flare-ups occurred last year, prompting repeated diplomatic interventions.
Minister Kabba personally led the delegation to Conakry, where he engaged directly with Guinean counterparts. A separate fact-finding mission was also dispatched to Falaba District to assess the situation on the ground.
Defence Spokesman Colonel Hassan Sei Coomber had earlier confirmed that negotiations were focused on securing an unconditional release through official channels.
In a statement, the Government of Sierra Leone reaffirmed its commitment to resolving the dispute exclusively through diplomatic means.
“Fighting is of no interest to either country,” Information Minister Chernor Bah emphasized in recent remarks. Officials added that the delegation’s mission highlights Sierra Leone’s determination to protect national sovereignty while preserving peaceful and fraternal relations with Guinea.
The swift resolution has been welcomed across Sierra Leone, with many describing it as proof that “diplomacy remains the master key.”
The released personnel are expected to return home shortly, bringing an end, at least for now to the latest chapter in the long-running border tensions.
