By Foday Moriba Conteh
During President Julius Maada Bio’s 2-day working visit to Conakry, Republic of Guinea, which ended on Tuesday 16 February 2021, both leaders signed a communique agreeing to reopen the border on Thursday 18 February, 2021.
The communique stated among other things that based on mutual reassurances and enhanced mutual confidence…the President of the Republic of Guinea, Professor Alpha Conde, has reviewed the security situation in his country and has agreed to reopen its borders with the Republic of Sierra Leone, effective from Thursday 18 February 2021 at 8:00 hours GMT.
The two leaders also agreed to reactivate the Joint Technical Committee on Yenga, which shall commence sittings in Nongowa, on 3 March 2021. They also agreed to implement the agreement of Joint Border Patrols along the common border areas from 5 March 2021,” the document reads, adding that the two foreign ministers would immediately restart the holding of the Joint Commission of Cooperation meetings between the two countries.
The communique also contained a raft of bilateral agreements to cooperate with each other on security, defence, public health, ICT, mining, justice, transport, private investments, and cultural exchanges.
The Heads of State further pledged to use their good offices to provide the necessary capacity to address the current and emerging public health emergency such as COVID-19 and EBOLA in the two countries.
President Bio’s delegation included the deputy leader of the main opposition, All People’s Congress in Parliament, Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo and former APC Minister of Public Affairs, Information and later Mines, Alhaji Alpha Sahid Bakar Kanu.
