As Border Dispute Remains Unresolved… Kaliyereh Residents Livelihood At Stake

By Abdul Rahman Bah

Falaba, 10 August 2026 –

Residents of Kaliyereh in Sulima Chiefdom, Falaba District, are questioning the Government of Sierra Leone’s handling of the country’s border with Guinea, saying months of uncertainty have left their farms, businesses and even the administrative identity of parts of their community in dispute.

For residents, the issue is no longer simply a disagreement over a line on a map. It has become a question of whether the Government of Sierra Leone is sufficiently protecting citizens living along one of the country’s most sensitive frontiers.

Residents say they have been left without clear answers over the exact location of the boundary, while areas traditionally used for farming and other economic activities are allegedly being claimed by Guinean authorities and settlers.

Town Chief, Manka Momodu Samura, told the Media that the community is facing “serious challenges”, with some residents reportedly losing access to swamps and farmland that have supported families for generations.

“Some parts of the town are even being claimed as belonging to Guinea,” he said.

That claim raises a fundamental question for the government: how can citizens living on Sierra Leonean territory be expected to protect their livelihoods when they do not have clear information about the internationally recognised boundary?

The continuing uncertainty has placed particular scrutiny on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The Ministry is responsible for managing Sierra Leone’s relations with neighbouring states, including negotiations involving territorial and border matters. Yet residents say they have seen little evidence of a permanent solution to their immediate concerns.

The question is not whether diplomatic discussions have taken place. The question is whether those discussions have produced a clear result that ordinary people in Kaliyereh can understand and rely upon.

Residents want the government to explain precisely where the Sierra Leone–Guinea boundary lies, what areas are recognised as Sierra Leonean territory and what measures are being taken to prevent further disputes.

The February 2026 confrontation involving Sierra Leonean security personnel and Guinean authorities demonstrated the dangers of leaving such questions unresolved.

While diplomatic engagement helped to de-escalate that incident, the underlying territorial uncertainty affecting communities such as Kaliyereh remains a matter of concern.

A border dispute that repeatedly produces tension between security personnel, farmers and local communities cannot be treated as an isolated administrative problem. It is a national sovereignty issue.

Communities left to defend their own territory

During a visit to Kaliyereh, residents pointed to a pile of stones which they believe represents an old boundary marker established by earlier settlers.

But the reliance of citizens on traditional markers to explain an international boundary raises questions about the level of technical and institutional attention being given to the area.

Historical knowledge from local communities can be valuable, but it cannot replace a properly surveyed, documented and mutually recognised international boundary. The responsibility for establishing that boundary rests with the state.

Residents should not have to determine their territorial status by pointing to stones, relying on oral history or trying to interpret competing claims from authorities on both sides of the border. Government agencies must provide certainty.

Farmers paying the price

The consequences of the uncertainty are already being felt by farmers. Residents say access to swamps and farmland has become increasingly difficult, threatening agricultural production and household incomes.

In a remote community where many families depend directly on agriculture, losing access to productive land is not a minor inconvenience. It can mean reduced food production, declining income and greater economic vulnerability.

Fatmata Samura said difficulties surrounding the exchange of Guinean francs and Sierra Leonean leones have placed additional pressure on small businesses. The situation demonstrates how a border dispute can quickly become an economic crisis for ordinary people.

Youth leader, Mohamed S. Turay, said Kaliyereh has already suffered from limited government services and economic opportunities. He said the border situation has further restricted movement, trade and interaction with neighbouring communities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs now faces a credibility test.

Diplomatic statements about peaceful relations with Guinea will mean little to residents if they continue to face uncertainty over their farms and movement.

The Ministry should provide the public with a clear account of what has been agreed with Guinea, what remains disputed and what practical steps are being taken to resolve the matter.

There should also be greater coordination between Foreign Affairs, the Survey Department, the Ministry responsible for internal administration, the security forces, the Falaba District authorities and the affected chiefdom.

A proper technical assessment should establish the disputed boundary using recognised maps, historical agreements, geographical coordinates and modern surveying technology.

Where the two countries disagree, the disagreement should be formally documented and addressed through the appropriate bilateral mechanisms. Most importantly, communities must be informed.

Kaliyereh’s situation also exposes a wider weakness in the government’s approach to remote border communities. Such communities are strategically important because they sit directly on the country’s territorial frontiers. Yet residents often face poor roads, limited public services, weak economic opportunities and inadequate government presence.

If the state is absent from its border communities, other actors can increasingly fill the vacuum through competing claims, informal taxation, economic influence or control over access to land and resources.

The government therefore has a responsibility not only to defend the boundary diplomatically, but also to strengthen its presence through public services, infrastructure, security and economic development.

A clearly demarcated border without meaningful government presence will not fully solve the problem.

Residents are not calling for confrontation with Guinea. They want Sierra Leone and Guinea to resolve the dispute through dialogue and establish a boundary that is accepted and respected by both countries. They also want the government to protect the rights and livelihoods of people who have lived and farmed in the area for generations.

The failure to resolve the matter could have consequences far beyond Kaliyereh. Continued uncertainty could fuel local tensions, disrupt cross-border trade, complicate taxation and administration, and potentially create further confrontations between security personnel.

The Government of Sierra Leone, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, must therefore treat the situation with the urgency it deserves.

The people of Kaliyereh should not be left wondering whether the land on which they farm, trade and live belongs to Sierra Leone or Guinea. They deserve a clear answer from their government. And they deserve it before another border confrontation forces the issue back into the national spotlight.