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By Emmanuel Wise Jipoh
Sorlumba Town, Foya, Lofa County, March 17, 2026: Investigations by The New Dawn indicate that the border tension between Liberia and Guinea in Mahcustom Village is primarily driven by competing claims over mineral resources in the Makona River, rather than boundary disagreements alone.
Sources familiar with the situation report that confrontations near the Sorlumba entrance in Foya District stem from diamond and mineral mining activities along the river. Guinean authorities have accused a Liberian firm, BK Enterprise Engineering Consultant and Construction Agency, of illegally dredging minerals in areas they consider Guinean territory.
The dispute escalated after Guinean security forces seized the company’s mining equipment and detained two miners for questioning about the use of heavy machinery in the contested area.
Tensions further increased when officers of the Liberia Immigration Service planted a Liberian flag near the river, an action intended to assert Liberia’s territorial claim but viewed by Guinean authorities as provocative.
Witnesses told The New Dawn that on March 7, 2026, more than 30 Guinean soldiers crossed into Mahcustom Village, intimidating residents while asserting ownership of the land. Days later, the troops advanced further into the community, where they encountered resistance from local youths. The situation deteriorated when Guinean forces returned with reinforcements and opened fire, injuring a civilian identified as Edward Lebbie.
Calm was later restored following diplomatic engagements in Guéckédou between officials of both countries. Liberia’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Francis S. Nyumalin, and Guinea’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Ibrahima Condé, led discussions to de-escalate tensions and reinforce cross-border cooperation.
Guinean elders maintain that because the Makona River originates in Guinea, it falls under their jurisdiction, a claim that remains central to the dispute.
On Monday, March 16, 2026, President Joseph Boakai arrived in Conakry, where he received a ceremonial welcome from senior Guinean officials led by Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah. Other officials present included the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Planning and International Cooperation, and Justice.
President Boakai traveled on the same flight as Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, the current Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State. The Liberian delegation was received by the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Liberian Embassy in Conakry, Mrs. M. Catherine Doe, alongside embassy staff and members of the Liberian community.
Mano River Union leaders are currently engaged in high-level discussions in Conakry to address the recurring tensions along Guinea’s borders with its neighboring states.
