By Sulaiman Jalloh
Abdulai Caulker, the national security coordinator at the Office of National Security (ONS) has disclosed that the dispute between Sierra Leone and neighbouring Guinea over the Yenga will soon be a thing of the past as it would be resolved very soon.
The sister nations have both been claiming ownership of the said territory for decades.
“We all know that the issue of Yenga is an inherited thing, something that has started long since. Government after government has inherited it, including the government of President Bio,” he said.
According to him, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Timothy Kabba, visited the sight and learnt that the Guinean authorities have constructed a military barracks at the said land. He however assured government’s commitment to settle the dispute within a given period of time.
Mr. Caulker assured that they are going to ensure that all the 15 protocols of the Mano River Union are taken into consideration as they pursue an amicable settlement over Yenga with neighboring Guinea; something he said they are working with other Mano River Union member states.
In 2002, Sierra Leone and Guinea signed an agreement that Yenga would be returned to Sierra Leone, as soon as Guinea’s border was secured. The dispute was officially “resolved” in 2019 when President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah announced that “Conakry has now affirmed that Yenga is a part of Sierra Leone” yet Guinean soldiers continue to occupy the land, leaving Sierra Leonean citizens of Yenga in fear.
Speaking on Kush, the ONS national coordinator said they have taken security to the doorsteps of the people, saying the fight against the menace in the country has been divided into level ranging from community heads, youth groups, section chiefs, paramount chiefs, while he promised to continue the fight to a logical conclusion for the betterment of the country.
He however recognized the security challenges faced over the years under the Bio administration, including the August 10 protest and the November 26 failed coup. He said social media has negatively contributed to all the national security threats in Sierra Leone. He called on the public to be careful in reacting to social media posts. He added that the security sector remains firm and vigilant to safeguard the peace and stability of the country.
He was speaking on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 during the Ministry of Information and Civic Education’s press briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation conference hall, Tower Hill in Freetown.
Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Monday, April 15th, 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
