For the first time in more than two decades, Liberians, mostly women and children, were seen carrying their belongings on their heads, leaving the town they called home. It was a town close to the border (Solumba Town). They were leaving in fear for their lives. It was as if another civil war had beckoned. As a country with a dark past of over 14 years of civil unrest, this news brought back fresh memories of the country’s civil crisis that ended in 2003.
The quiet of Solumba Town, a border-sharing, fish-mongering community with Guinea, was breached with alarm after reports of gun-wielding Guinean military men invaded the community with threats of annexation.
Liberia’s territory was under siege. Only a few days ago, the Guinean military had, in a similar fashion, invaded a community in neighbouring Sierra Leone, threatening fire and brimstone.
A tripartite diplomatic row had been triggered with reports of gunshots in Liberia’s border town of Solumba. Media reports and merchants of disinformation had also suggested that powerful foreign actors were behind the invasion.
As if that was not enough, an initial media report of death from the invasion was debunked by DUBAWA, but the palpable chaos, injury, fear, misinformation, and tension evoked by the invasion of Guinea’s military were all too serious to ignore.
So how and why did Guinea threaten to annex communities in Liberia and Sierra Leone almost simultaneously? What is the story behind the invasion of the two communities? DUBAWA launched an in-depth investigation into the matter to explore the history and genesis of what appears to be a possible breach of international law, and to debunk many false and misleading claims made in the heat of the ‘invasion.’
Background
It was a national holiday! Decoration Day. March 11, 2026. A memorial day set aside for the people of Liberia to pause, remember, and honour those who have passed away. Whether by design or accident, it was on this solemn occasion that the military in Guinea decided to invade the border community in Liberia, as if to make a statement.
DUBAWA’s investigations show it was approximately 12 noon when residents of Sorlumba Town were going about their respective holiday routine when the armed Guinean soldiers invaded the town.
As the adage goes, “bad news spreads faster than good news.” The news of the Guinean invasion quickly spread like wildfire, with multiple reports as seen here, here, and here, creating extreme panic among Liberians. But what was the invasion about?
Tussle over mining in the Makona River
According to the youth of Sorlumba Town, the March 11 incident was a culmination of a series of events that started days earlier. Sorlumba is a small town close to the border with Guinea, with a population of over 1,000 people. The Makona River serves as a natural border separating Northwestern Liberia from Guinea. On March 2, 2026, the Guinean soldiers, using the Sorlumba border crossing point, entered the town, confiscated some equipment belonging to BK Enterprise, a construction company in the area, and hoisted the Guinean flag.
Workers of BK Enterprise on site (Facebook)
BK Enterprise was contracted by the government of Liberia to construct a road from Foya to Vahun and to pave streets, but was accused by the Guineans of mining minerals (gold and diamonds) in the Makona River, which separates Liberia and Guinea. This suspicion quickly escalated into serious tension between the two countries, involving some high-profile government officials from both sides.
In an interesting turn of events, the former Mines and Energy Minister, Wilmot Paye, revealed that the Government of Liberia did issue a mining license to BK Enterprise to mine on the Makona River, something he said led to the action taken by the Guinean authority
Former Minister Paye voiced, “Did you know that we almost went to war with Guinea the last time? But you know why the crisis erupted? If I had remained in the Ministry of Mines and Energy, I don’t think we would have reached that level.”
“Because a mining license was issued to a company to mine on the Makona River, a river that serves as a boundary between two countries, it is a shared water resource. One country cannot do anything on that river in isolation from the other country,” Paye stated.
Mr Paye made the revelation on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, when he appeared on a local radio station, Spoon FM, and Television. His revelation is found between 1:05:40 and 1:09:30 in the over-two-hour show. The show was carried on the entity’s official Facebook page with over 950 reactions, more than 6k comments, plus 200 shares
That appears to be the trigger for what has been an age-long battle between the two countries over the Makona River.
On March 3, 2026, following the seizure of the company’s equipment, Liberia’s Minister for Local Government, Francis S. Nyumalin, and the Lofa County local administration visited the area in the hope of an amicable solution.
Diplomacy at Crossroads
It was agreed that both countries would hold a bilateral meeting in Guèckèdou on March 8, 2026, to iron out issues from a diplomatic standpoint.
Checks by DUBAWA indicate that the meeting was attended by Minister Nyumalin, head of the Liberian delegation, accompanied by General Davidson F. Forleh, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), and Atty. Gabriel Ndupellar, Assistant Minister for the Bureau of Corrections, Ministry of Justice, and Sheikh Al-Moustapha Kouyateh, Ambassador-at-Large for Special Duties, while the Guinean side was chaired by Ibrahima Kalil Condé, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation.
DUBAWA learnt from the meeting that both sides emphasised the long-standing relationship between Liberia and Guinea. A Guinean elder who attended the meeting was reported to have presented a historical claim regarding the Makona River. He added that when a river forms the boundary between two countries, ownership is attributed to the country where the river originates. Guinean authorities further claimed approximately 800 meters from the midpoint of the river extending toward the Liberian side.
Even though no concessions were formally reported to have been made by the Liberian delegation, one of the reported outcomes of the Guèckèdou meeting was an agreement to return the Liberian flag to its original position.
On the issue of the seized equipment from BK Enterprise, it was also agreed that the Guinean authorities would return the equipment only if Liberia’s Ministry of Mines certified that BK Enterprise’s operations were strictly for sand mining and not for gold or diamond extraction.
The outcomes notwithstanding, the agreement failed to fully achieve its desired objectives, with the situation deteriorating significantly on Decoration Day.
Isaac Fayiah, one of the youth who engaged with the Guinean soldiers on that fateful day when they crossed into Liberia, told DUBAWA that the Guineans had sent a few soldiers to the town the day before as part of their surveillance strategy.
“The next day they came back again; this time, they were even more than the first number, and they were using about five canoes. When they came, we were just a few young people present and could not do anything, so we allowed them to hoist their flag again on Liberian soil while we were mobilizing more young people to join us in ensuring that we protect our territory.”
Hoisting a flag in another country’s territory is a symbolic act of exercising sovereignty or of discovery. However, under modern international law, hoisting of flags appears to be meaningless unless it is followed by effective occupation and administration of the annexed territory.
A day after the Guinean’s flag was hoisted, Fayiah told DUBAWA, “By the time we reached a sufficient number strong enough to resist them, we engaged them physically and brought down their flag, turned it over to them, and uprooted the pole from our soil, and continued chanting behind them till they left the shores of Liberia.”
Fayiah further explained that they thought this move by the youth would have resolved the matter, but later they realised it was going nowhere, adding that the next day the soldiers came back with reinforcements and gunfire, leaving a Liberian injured.
This drew the attention of the National Government, which then stepped in and asked the youth to disengage, promising to handle the matter going forward.
When asked about activities within the town, Fayiah said that the situation has created serious setbacks for young people in the area who survive on cross-border trade between the two countries
“Before, we used to cross over to Guinea and carry out some commercial activities through which we could cater for our families, but today, it is no longer happening, and everything is at a standstill because of this situation. We are hoping that this situation is resolved in the soonest possible time, as we can no longer bear the hardship this situation has caused for us and the town in general,” Fayiah told DUBAWA in an interview with him in Sorlumba town, Foya District, Lofa County.
He stated that, while the flag of Guinea is no longer hoisted in the area, well-armed Guinean soldiers are still stationed on the other side of the river, a place believed to be owned by Liberia, something he said is preventing them from going to their farms.
What triggered the incident?
Providing a historical background to the chaos between the two countries, the Paramount Chief of Sorlumba Town, Mr Fallah Bundoo, told DUBAWA this is not the first time the two countries have engaged in some exchanges, even though there has been a long-standing relationship between them.
“Way back in the 80s, similar situations occurred between the two countries, but it was not of this nature. Back then, it was about movement on the Makona River, and the Guineans used to charge Liberians for crossing because, according to the Guineans, some Liberians were carrying out smuggling activities into Guinea, and this became an issue between both countries.”
He added, “So, then President Tolbert sent his brother, AB Tolbert, who settled the matter by also allowing Liberians to charge a $1 crossing fee, and since then there has been no confusion between the two countries till today.”
He also confirmed claims that the chaos was more about suspicion over mining in the Makona River than it was about disagreement over a piece of land.
“They said our people were not just mining sand on the river but were mining other natural minerals, including gold and diamonds. In fact, the place where these activities were taking place is very far away from the border crossing point.”
So what is it about the Makona River that is making neighbours draw swords at each other?
The Makona River Boundary
The Makona River, also known as the Mao River, is believed to be 8 km long and flows from the highlands of Guinea into the southwest, meandering through parts of the Guinea-Liberia and Sierra Leone borders.
The river is believed to be incredibly rich in minerals with high-quality alluvial deposits of gold and diamonds.
The river beds have over the years been worked on by artisanal miners at different points of the river’s course.
That which is a source of livelihood for many has, at times, become a harbinger of conflict between Liberia and Guinea. While it has been suggested that it is illegal to mine in transboundary rivers, the “no-harm” rule under Customary International Law requires countries to exercise strict due diligence to ensure that their activities within their borders do not cause harm in neighbouring countries.
In line with that, the government of Liberia announced a suspension of unilateral mining along the Makona River until a lasting solution is found.
The Guinean claim
In our investigations, DUBAWA sighted a video made by Guinean authorities, insisting that the portion of land in question close to the Makona River occupied by Guinean soldiers is owned by the Republic of Guinea.
The Director of Information and Public Relations for the Armed Forces of Guinea, Lieutenant Colonel Alassana Barry, claims in the video that there are no further misunderstandings, as both Sierra Leone and Liberia recognise that the areas under occupation belong to Guinea.
Lieutenant Colonel Alassana Barry further said that, to prevent any violence among the three countries (Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea), Guinea has already dispatched permanent contingents of troops massed along its borders.
“Whether terrestrial or maritime, Guinean troops are permanently at this place. And to strengthen security along our borders, it is an innovation. We asked the Minister of Defence to create regional operational battalions, which we call the BOR,” Lieutenant Colonel Alassana Barry said.
Also, the Guinean authorities highlighted a 1907 agreement signed in Paris on January 13, 1907, between the then French Minister of Foreign Affairs and Liberia’s ambassador in Paris.
The agreement, according to the Guinean authorities, gives the real limits between Guinea and Liberia, stating that these agreements, to date, have not changed and the intangibility of these borders must be respected.
What does the 1907 Agreement say?
In September 1907, under the presidency of then-President Arthur Barclay, Liberia concluded a boundary treaty with France, signed in Paris, France, on the 18th, under which the Liberian government surrendered a substantial northeastern part of its territory.
Copy of agreement. Sources: Facebook
Internal wrangling
The border conflict has created enough tension and chaos not just between Liberia and Guinea but even among Liberians. A lawmaker of Montserrado County District #10, Representative Yekeh Kolubah, was expelled from the House of Representatives because of a controversial remark that the disputed land belongs to Guinea and not Liberia.
In an interview with newsmen upon his return to the country, the former District #10 Representative reiterated his conviction that the piece of land falls within the territory of Guinea and not Liberia
Government Response
Soon after the Decoration Day ‘invasion’, the government of Liberia called for calm and urged its citizens near the border and across the country to avoid any forms of violence, noting that it is using diplomatic means to resolve the matter.
In a message addressed to the nation on March 18, 2026, delivered by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, the Liberian leader said that, from the outset, the Government of Liberia took immediate steps to de-escalate the situation through peaceful and diplomatic means.
“We have engaged directly with the Government of Guinea through established diplomatic channels. In addition, we have worked closely with our sister Republic of Sierra Leone, within the framework of the Mano River Union, to ensure that dialogue and cooperation guide our actions.”
President Boakia said that Liberia has always stood firmly for peace, adding that throughout its history, Liberia has maintained cordial relations with its neighbours and has consistently chosen cooperation over confrontation.
Before issuing this statement to the nation, the Liberian Government, through its joint security, deployed armed security personnel at the Liberia-Guinea border, where the incident occurred, in defence of its citizens and sovereignty.
The Conakry Peace Talk
To secure a more lasting solution to the crisis, the three countries, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, met in the Guinean Capital, Conakry, for what they called high-level peace talks and consultations to maintain the peace in the region. This meeting was mediated by the Prime Minister of d’Côte d’Ivoire.
On March 17, 2026, Presidents Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., Mamadi Doumbouya, and Julius Maada Bio of Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, respectively, concluded high-level consultations in Conakry with a shared agreement to pursue a peaceful, diplomatic resolution to ongoing border tensions among their countries.
According to a release issued by the Liberian Executive Mansion, “the three Presidents expressed the importance of collective action to preserve stability along their shared borders, strengthen security cooperation, and deepen good neighbourliness among their nations. Their deliberations were informed by recent incidents that have heightened tensions in certain border areas.”
Conclusion
Though the Liberian Government has vowed to use diplomatic means to resolve the Liberia-Guinea border situation, following DUBAWA’s own assessment on the ground and among the affected communities, there is a heavy security presence on both sides of the border. There are armed Liberian Immigration officers on the Liberian side of the border, preventing ordinary citizens from going around the area, while there is still the presence of Guinean soldiers on Liberian soil, with no signs of leaving anytime soon.