——Residents Still Remain Entrapped in Contested Area
IPNEWS: Information Minister, Jerolinmek Piah, is facing significant accusations of misleading the country following a recent report regarding the presence of Guinean troops near the Sorlumba border crossing in Lofa County.
Minister Piah announced on state-owned radio (ELBC) that the border was peaceful and that Guinean soldiers had withdrawn from previously occupied Liberian territory.
However, the authoritative Independent Probe undercover reporter in the area on a fact-finding mission can confirm that heavily armed Guinean forces were seen Sunday morning patrolling the area and are stationed inside Liberian territory.
In a subsequent Ministry of Information press briefing, Minister Piah clarified that his previous remarks had been misconstrued. He walked back the claim that the dispute was fully settled, instead stating only that the border area was “calm” and that no Liberian territory had been officially ceded
Contrary to the pronouncement by the government of Liberia that it and Guinean military authorities have mutually agreed to de-escalate tensions along the border, Guinea has moved to deploy heavily equipped troops, including artillery and armored units, to its border with Liberia.
Guinea’s deployment follows last weekend’s shipments of modern military hardware supplied to Guinea through an expanding strategic and defense partnership with Russia.
Last week, Information Minister, the Government of Liberia, and Guinean military authorities mutually agreed to de-escalate tensions along the border. Guinea has initiated a gradual withdrawal of its troops from contested zones near Lofa County after the Mano River Union leaders prioritized diplomacy to peacefully resolve the territorial dispute.
Rising tensions originally sparked after Guinean soldiers crossed into Liberian territory at the Sorlumba and Kondadu border points (Foya District, Lofa County), hoisting the Guinean flag, seizing sand-mining equipment, and briefly pushing back Liberian border personnel.
Following high-level security and diplomatic discussions, including a Mano River Union summit, Guinea’s Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces announced a gradual withdrawal of forces.
Liberian President Joseph Boakai, in consultation with the Legislature, deployed joint security teams and dispatched high-level delegations to secure the area and ensure a peaceful return to normalcy.
The Guinean Armed Forces, operating under President Mamadi Doumbouya, have been undergoing rapid modernization. Deliveries of “latest-generation” equipment from Russia—intended to bolster Guinea’s operational capabilities and territorial defense—have significantly upgraded the military’s inventory.
The deployment specifically targets the porous and historically volatile border areas, most notably around the disputed Sorlumba region in Lofa County. The troop buildup—including air support and heavy weaponry—was sent to protect Guinea’s territorial integrity following a series of localized security incidents.
The Mano River Union (MRU) has engaged in diplomatic discussions regarding the escalating border situation.
