By Claudia Redwood-Sawyerr
Sierra Leone and Guinea have agreed to strengthen cooperation on border security, civil registration and the fight against transnational crimes, following high-level discussions between the two countries last week.
Giving an update on the outcome of the mission at the Ministry of Information and Civic Education’s weekly press conference on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, Minister of Internal Affairs, AIG (Rtd) Morrie Lengor Esq., said the discussions with the Guinean authorities focused on strengthening cooperation on issues affecting both countries.
He said the two sides discussed cross-border crimes including human trafficking, human smuggling and drug trafficking, while also addressing challenges relating to the identification and documentation of Sierra Leonean citizens living in Guinea.
Minister Lengor stressed the importance of citizens properly registering and obtaining the necessary documentation when residing outside Sierra Leone.
“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 said the discussions therefore included measures to ensure that the National Civil Registration Authority properly registers citizens, noting that inadequate documentation can create difficulties in establishing the identity and nationality of Sierra Leoneans, particularly in emergency situations.
The Minister also highlighted concerns surrounding the use and recognition of the ECOWAS national identity card, particularly for Sierra Leoneans travelling or conducting transactions in Guinea.
According to him, some Sierra Leoneans have experienced difficulties using the ECOWAS card in Guinea, including at banks and other facilities. He said the issue was raised during the bilateral discussions, with both sides agreeing that further discussions were necessary to address the matter.
The Guinea mission also followed earlier discussions involving Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia under the Tripartite Agreement, with Minister Lengor saying the parties agreed on the need to maintain momentum in implementing issues already discussed.
“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 the Foreign Ministers would work with the Mano River Union (MRU) to facilitate and fast-track a meeting aimed at following up on the 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 of possible human trafficking.
He said a team comprising INTERPOL, the Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force and the Transnational Organised Crime Unit had been sent 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 warned individuals and groups involved in facilitating such activities that the Government will 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.”
The Minister said the cooperation between Sierra Leone and Guinea forms part of broader efforts to address security challenges along the borders while ensuring that agreed measures are translated into concrete action.
