Member of Parliament for the governing Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) from Kailahun district, Fallah Tengbeh has assured his people that in spite of all odds, their disputed village of Yenga along Guinea border will soon be liberated though he did not state a timeline.
He said they are doing all they could to ensure that they do their normal businesses as they used to do.
Updating the media, Hon Tengbeh informed that a high-powered delegation from the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja conducted a fact-finding and assessment mission to examine the longstanding Yenga border dispute.
He said Yenga is a small village in Sierra Leone’s Kailahun district, near the area of the Makona/Moa Rivers.
The Parliamentarian said the mission led by Morie Lengor, Minister of Internal Affairs of Sierra Leone, included representatives from the Mano River Union (MRU), the RSL Armed Forces, the Sierra Leone Police, the Office of National Security, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and other key government and regional stakeholders.
Yenga, according to Hon. Ing., Fallah Tengbeh strategically located on a hill along the border with Guinea, has been the subject of multiple treaties recognizing Sierra Leonean sovereignty, including agreements in 2002, 2005, and assurances in 2019. Despite these arrangements, Guinean forces continue to occupy the village, resulting in the displacement of Sierra Leonean residents.
It could be recalled that President Julius Maada Bio highlighted the ongoing encroachment in 2021, prompting renewed diplomatic efforts.
In May 2025, he recalled a high-level government delegation visit to Koindu town in Kissi Teng chiefdom to engage local authorities and affected communities.
The MP stated that the delegation included officials from the Ministries of Internal Affairs, Defence, and Foreign Affairs, the RSL Armed Forces, the Sierra Leone Police, the MRU Peace and Security Directorate, and Paramount Chiefs of Nongoa and Kissi Teng chiefdoms. During this visit, the Paramount Chief of Nongoa, Guinea, called for the withdrawal of armed forces from both sides to allow civilians to return and proposed reviving annual MRU meetings to foster regional dialogue.
Ing. Tengbeh revealed that the ECOWAS Mission’s investigations began in Freetown, engaging relevant government stakeholders, including MoPED, the Office of National Security, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Preparations continued in Kenema, the regional headquarters of Sierra Leone’s Eastern Region, before the convoy proceeded to Koindu, Kailahun district.
Upon arrival, he stated that the Head of the Delegation, Hon. Morie Lengor, welcomed the ECOWAS team, presented the mission’s objectives, and urged local residents to provide full cooperation.
He reassured displaced communities that the government is committed to resolving the Yenga issue through diplomatic channels, emphasizing that ECOWAS’ engagement represents an important step toward a lasting solution.
Hon Tengbeh said that the delegation which proceeded from the Sierra Leonean side was designed to cover both Sierra Leone and Guinea.
He said Sierra Leone responded positively, while the Guinean side requested additional time and the mission will engage them at a later time.
Presently, Yenga residents are facing economic embargo but that will soon come to an end as they are making frantic efforts to resolve that.
