— Pres. Boakai Says, Following Peaceful Approach to Resolution of Border Disputes
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. returned to Liberia on Monday evening delivering a message of unity and reconciliation following an emergency summit in Conakry, Guinea, convened to de-escalate rising tensions along the Liberia-Guinea border. Addressing the media upon his arrival at Roberts International Airport, President Boakai emphasized the collective realization among regional leaders that their populations are intrinsically linked, sharing a common destiny that makes conflict a futile endeavor.
“We all realized that we are the same people. That we have been working together for years and we have nothing to gain from war and that we shouldn’t waste time on war. We need to be friends and help to develop our people, and we all agreed on that,” he stated The high-level consultations, held under the auspices of the Mano River Union (MRU), brought together President Boakai, Guinea’s transitional leader President Mamadi Doumbouya, and Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio.
The trilateral meeting, described by officials as being conducted in a “cordial and frank atmosphere,” concluded Monday evening with the adoption of a joint communiqué that firmly commits the three nations to a peaceful and diplomatic path forward. A central tenet of the agreement is the maintenance of the status quo ante along the shared borders, ensuring that current positions are held while negotiations continue towards an amicable, acceptable, and lasting solution. This approach is specifically designed to protect the longstanding trade, commerce, and deep-rooted cultural ties that bind communities across the region’s frontiers.
The leaders underscored the critical importance of collective action to preserve stability, bolster security cooperation, and foster good neighborliness. Their deliberations were directly shaped by recent security incidents that had dangerously escalated tensions. The joint communiqué outlined a comprehensive 12-point roadmap, including: a commitment to resolve all border issues through peaceful diplomatic means as per the UN Charter; strengthened collaboration among defense and security institutions through joint patrols and intelligence sharing; and a directive for relevant agencies to urgently engage in dialogue to prevent future incidents and advance technical work on border demarcation with support from international partners.
The summit also agreed to convene an MRU Heads of State Summit within a month to revitalize the Union and scheduled reciprocal working visits among the leaders to further cement fraternal ties. The urgency of the summit was underscored by events in the days prior, during which local citizens in Lofa County became the frontline defenders of Liberia’s territorial integrity. For two days, residents of Sorlumba Clan in Foya District mobilized to repel armed incursions from Guinea, vowing to protect their land after a second cross-border raid left a Liberian national wounded.
The confrontation began early Tuesday when Guinean soldiers crossed the Makona River—the natural boundary—and seized equipment from a Liberian sand-mining operation, claiming the area for Guinea and raising their flag on Liberian soil. Local citizens swiftly confronted the intruders, forcing them to retreat and re-hoisting the Liberian flag. The situation escalated further early Wednesday when Guinean forces returned and, upon resistance from residents, opened fire, wounding a Liberian man in the thigh.
Despite the violence, the community’s resolve remained unshaken. Hours after the shooting, residents regrouped and marched back to the contested area, once again raising the Liberian flag and vowing to defend their sovereignty. The incident highlighted the fragility of peace in border regions and the critical need for diplomatic solutions, a responsibility that both Liberia and Guinea are bound to by their commitments to the African Union Constitutive Act and the ECOWAS Protocol on Non-Aggression.
The successful outcome of the Conakry summit is now expected to ease these immediate tensions, restore confidence among affected communities, and pave the way for the resumption of normal cross-border life. This commitment to diplomacy is particularly poignant as Liberia currently holds a prominent position on the world stage, having assumed its role as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council on January 1, 2026, for a two-year term—a historic return to the council after a 65-year absence.
