By: Isatu Yollah Bangura, Intern
Sierra Leone and Guinea have agreed to strengthen cooperation on border security, civil registration and the fight against transnational organised crime following high-level discussions between the two countries.
Minister of Internal Affairs, AIG (Rtd) Morrie Lengor Esq., said the discussions with Guinean authorities focused on security challenges affecting both countries, particularly along their shared border.
He said the two sides discussed cross-border crimes, including human trafficking, human smuggling and drug trafficking, as well as challenges relating to the identification and documentation of Sierra Leonean citizens living in Guinea.
Minister Lengor stressed the importance of Sierra Leoneans properly registering and obtaining the necessary documentation when residing outside the country.
“If you do not have any papers or documentation, how is somebody going to know that you are a Sierra Leonean? How can they help you?” he asked.
He said the discussions included measures to ensure that the National Civil Registration Authority properly registers citizens, noting that inadequate documentation can make it difficult to establish the identity and nationality of Sierra Leoneans, particularly during emergencies.
The Minister also raised concerns about the use and recognition of the ECOWAS national identity card by Sierra Leoneans travelling or conducting transactions in Guinea.
According to Minister Lengor, some Sierra Leoneans have experienced difficulties using the ECOWAS card in Guinea, including at banks and other facilities. He said the matter was raised during the bilateral discussions, with both sides agreeing that further engagement was needed to resolve the issue.
The Guinea mission also followed earlier discussions involving Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia under the Tripartite Agreement.
Minister Lengor said the three countries agreed on the need to maintain momentum in implementing commitments already reached during previous discussions.
“We have to bring those issues into the meeting, make sure that they are accepted and accelerate the implementation. We should not forget the issues that we have already agreed upon,” he said.
He added that the Foreign Ministers would work with the Mano River Union (MRU) to facilitate and fast-track a meeting to follow up on commitments reached during the tripartite discussions.
On the fight against organised crime, Minister Lengor disclosed that Sierra Leone had identified cases involving people being transported across borders without proper documentation, raising concerns about possible human trafficking.
He said a team comprising INTERPOL, the Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force and the Transnational Organised Crime Unit had been deployed to Guinea to work with Guinean authorities and security services to investigate the matter.
“We have sent a team from INTERPOL, the Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force and the Transnational Organised Crime Unit to Guinea to work with the Guinean authorities and security services to investigate,” he said.
The Minister warned individuals and groups involved in facilitating such activities that the Government would take action against them.
“From now going forward, we are not going to tolerate that, and anybody who gets involved will be arrested and dealt with according to the law,” he warned.
Minister Lengor said the strengthened cooperation between Sierra Leone and Guinea forms part of broader efforts to address security challenges along their borders and ensure that agreements reached between the two countries are translated into concrete action.