By: Problyn J. Alpha
In a Strive to addressing the long existing common border problems between Sierra Leone and neighbouring countries, the office of National security has on the twenty first (21) of November, 2022 started two days National Stakeholders retreat for the demarcation of Sierra Leone land and Maritime boundaries and cross road boarder cooperation in Bo.
Explaining the rationale behind the two days national stakeholders retreat for the demarcation of Sierra Leone land and Maritime boundaries, the Deputy Director Strategic Communications and spokesperson in the office National Security Abdule Karim Will noted that, the motive was to set up technical committee for the management of all border problems between Sierra Leone and neighbouring countries Liberia and Guinea.
It could be recalled that over the years, there has been serious problems over border crossing points and challenges in terms of addressing the common border problems between Sierra Leone and neighbouring countries.
The government of Sierra Leone over the years has made tremendous efforts to ameliorating existing common border problems between Sierra Leone and neighbouring countries.
The efforts of addressing the boarder challenges are recognition of the fact that, if the border security and management challenges are effectively addressed this will foster development and peaceful co-existence among the people residing either in the countries boarders.
Abdul Karim Will further explained that, the Africa Union boarder programme recognised that, the government of Sierra Leone has made a lot of efforts and that those efforts are commendable and needed to be supported, adding the AU has invited a delegation from Sierra Leone and Guinea to sit in as observers in cote d’ivoire to listen to the discussion between Ghana and Cote D’ivoire.
He said Ghana and Cote D’ivoire now have what he described as border commission and that they want to replicate similar thing in Sierra Leone and Guinea at both maritime and the land borders.
The Deputy Director strategic communications and spokesperson in the office of national security continued to explain that, apart from the Yenga border crossing challenge there are also other problems with the maritime domain and other land areas.
“Because Sierra Leoneans have recognised the fact that Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are almost the same people, hence it is necessary for the common border problems to be resolved through dialogue noting one way to resolve those boarder issues is to have a clear court structure to addressing the said problems” he stated.
The office of national security that is charged with the responsibility to coordinate all security matters in Sierra Leone in collaboration with GIZ, Ministry of development and other relevant stakeholders are working hard to facilitate the bringing together of the various stakeholders, institutions to set up the committee which is going to work with the EU border programme to ensure there is a formidable structure to have a commission established in Sierra Leone.
“The technical committee we are about to set up is to ensure we have a kind of holistic approach to demarcate and delimit our boarders to foster development and ensure a peaceful co-existence”, he stated.
The national stakeholders retreat according to report attracted officers from the Sierra Leone Police, Sierra Leone Armed Forces, The Maritime wing, Local Authorities and Government Ministries Department and agencies that are expected to be part of the committee.
“AT the end, we are expecting to seen a situation where Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea will continue to co-exist in a way that will foster development within the Mano River Union”, (MRU) Abdule Karim Will concluded.