The Economic Community of West African States has expressed concern over rising tensions along the borders of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, urging the countries involved to exercise restraint and resolve their differences through peaceful dialogue.
In a statement, the regional bloc said it was closely monitoring the situation and had decided to deploy a technical assessment mission to evaluate developments in the disputed Yenga border area between Guinea and Sierra Leone. The region has long been sensitive due to historical territorial disagreements.
ECOWAS noted that recent developments along the Lofa County border between Guinea and Liberia have further complicated the situation. The organisation said these developments prompted it to expand the scope of its planned assessment mission in order to better understand tensions across the wider region.
According to the regional body, the expanded mission will allow officials to conduct a broader evaluation of potential areas of friction across the Mano River Basin, a region known for both cross-border cooperation and periodic tensions among the three neighbouring countries.
ECOWAS said it has also begun diplomatic engagements with the governments of the affected countries to gather more information and help ease tensions. The bloc called on the parties to avoid unilateral actions that could undermine bilateral relations and instead prioritise dialogue through ECOWAS-supported diplomatic channels.
The organisation further urged the countries to respect internationally recognised boundaries and immediately take steps to de-escalate the situation. It reaffirmed its commitment to working with authorities in the region to promote cooperation and maintain peace and stability in the Mano River Basin.
