S Leone renews demands

2004-08-07 22:28

Freetown, Sierra Leone - Sierra Leone renewed demands on Saturday that neighbouring Guinea withdraw its troops from a hilltop border town, where they were deployed during Sierra Leone's 10-year civil war.

The emerging border dispute between the two otherwise friendly west African neighbours concerns the hilltop town of Yenga.

Guinea deployed tanks and troops to Yenga as Sierra Leone and international forces combatted a vicious 10-year insurgency, which ended in 2002.

Sierra Leone Security Minister George Banda Thomas told reporters on Saturday that Guinean forces still held 2 to 3 kilometres of land in Yenga.

"They are staying on top of a hill, which is part of Sierra Leone's territory," Thomas said. "We are not going to give an inch of Sierra Leone's territory."

Guinea denies its troops are still in Sierra Leone, insisting they are just across the border from Yenga, in Guinea.

Sierra Leone's president wrote Guinea late last month urging withdrawal of any Guinea forces and amicable settlement of any border dispute.

Thomas returned on Saturday from a mission to Guinea on the matter, and said the two governments had agreed to send missions soon to Yenga to investigate.

Residents of Yenga accuse Guinea of allowing Guineans to farm Sierra Leone land and of taxing Sierra Leone residents, Thomas said.

- AP