{"id":425105,"date":"2011-05-16T08:00:38","date_gmt":"2011-05-16T08:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/05\/16\/yenga-a-cause-betrayed\/"},"modified":"2011-05-16T08:00:38","modified_gmt":"2011-05-16T08:00:38","slug":"yenga-a-cause-betrayed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/16\/yenga-a-cause-betrayed\/","title":{"rendered":"Yenga: A Cause Betrayed?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Concord Times (Freetown)<\/p>\n

With John Momoh<\/p>\n

13 May 2011<\/p>\n

\n

opinion<\/p>\n

Freetown \u2014 One thing that many people still consider awkward and funny is the unfortunate issue of Sierra Leone celebrating 50 years of Independence as a sovereign nation at a time that our culturally tied French-speaking neighbour, Guinea still illegally occupying a stretch of land called Yenga, a land that does not only belong to this country but a border town along the Mekano River (or Mano River) which irrefutably belongs to Sierra Leone since colonial days.<\/p>\n

What is undeniable is that for decades even before 1961 when Sierra Leone became an independent and sovereign nation, records from the archives in France and Britain indicate that the beacon to mark the boundary between the two sisterly countries, Sierra Leone and Guinea, was pitched in the middle of the Mekano River, the same river that constitutes the boundary between Liberia and Sierra Leone. Thus it was a normal practice that once someone crosses the small river and land at Yenga on the Sierra Leone side, customs duties were paid to Sierra Leonean authorities, and once you are going to French Guinea and land anywhere after crossing the beacon in the river, taxes were paid to Guinean authorities with receipts and other documents issued in French.<\/p>\n

Both President Lansana Conte and officials of President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah were able to remove all doubts to the authenticity of these claims after a careful research of the facts over a decade ago. It was also unanimously agreed that the reason why Guinean troops initially crossed over the river to pitch their tents at Yenga on the Sierra Leonean side was for reasons of forestalling eventual spill-over of the rebel crisis into Guinea, as it happened in 1991 when Liberia’s rebel leader Charles Taylor apparently ordered an invasion of Sierra Leone for the role this country played in the organization and dispatching to Liberia of the ECOWAS West African Peace Keeping Force, which posed a stumbling block to Taylor’s ambitions to snatch power from the late President Samuel Doe through the barrel of the gun.<\/p>\n

Certainly beneath the diplomatic jargons of the sanguinity in the cultural relations between Guinea and Sierra Leone and the economic and development benefits being continually harvested by the member states of the Mano River Union (or the Mekano River Union), there remains the agony felt by many patriotic Sierra Leoneans over the stubborn Guinean occupation of Yenga, for which it is usually advised that the diplomatic option rather than military is the solution in sight for the sake of peace.<\/p>\n

Indeed if one considers the large number of Sierra Leonean of Guinean origin, most of whom are immensely contributing to this country’s development process while the influx of Guineans into this country continuing even after President Sekou Toure’s dictatorship era, one would be taken aback as to why Guinea can behave in that way. Why is it for example in the late 1960s the late President Toure laid a claim that part of Kono District towards the Guinean border belonged to Guinea.<\/p>\n

Despite these accusations, it is interesting to note that in times of crisis many Sierra Leonean politicians sometimes take refuge in Guinea. Many people can recall how after the controversial 1967 General Elections that terminated with the military seizing power briefly, the late President Siaka Stevens sought a safe haven in Conakry. The APC government went a step further by soliciting Guinean troops to constitute part of the presidential guards later transformed into the ISU and the SSS. Even during the past AFRC junta intervention, ex-President Kabbah and some top SLPP members were among those who sought refuge in Guinea until normalcy was restored.<\/p>\n

What many people are saying is that whatever way that one may examine the issue, there are more Guineans and Sierra Leoneans of Guinean origin staying in this country than Guineans of Sierra Leonean origin are in Guinea. And there are more Sierra Leoneans and Liberians of Sierra Leonean origin residing in Liberia than Sierra Leoneans of Liberian origin are in Sierra Leone. This is why for reasons of decency and within the framework of the Mano River Union, it will be much more reasonable that the governments of these Mano River Union countries exhibit more friendly and amicable dispositions towards one another rather than encouraging political deceptions such as the Liberia rebel invasion of Sierra Leone and the illegal Guinean occupation of Yenga. Surely Sierra Leone is a peaceful and hospitable country in the West African sub-region.<\/p>\n

What is also worthy of note is the high degree of patriotism and attachment to the development visions of these countries that are often demonstrated by the large population of Sierra Leoneans of Guinean origin, as can be reflected through intermarriages and social acculturation from the French-speaking to the English-speaking culture in Sierra Leone. It appears that many of these strangers from Guinea feel more at ease and comfortable to stay in this country as Sierra Leoneans than return to their paternal land. Thus the Guinean troops’ continued occupation of Yenga, when the sad history of the rebel war is now gradually fading into history, raises suspicions over the sincerity of the Guinean attitude towards Sierra Leone, a sovereign nation.<\/p>\n

No matter how far diplomacy can eclipse the Yenga issue, what is certain is that Yenga is an embarrassment and a thorn in the flesh in the Guinea-Sierra Leone bilateral relations. It is a symbol of the degree of the Guineans’ respect for the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of this country. What is also of surprise to many are doubts over why the Yenga matter did not constitute a central stage in the recent meeting between President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone and President Alpha Conde of Guinea at the District Office in Forecariah on the Guinean side of the border?<\/p>\n

According to reports, both Presidents received a thunderous applause and ovation from both Guineans and Sierra Leoneans as they converged in the area for the opening of a bridge over a river linking Sierra Leone and Guinea under the auspices of the Mano River Union with funds provided by the European Union. Essentially, despite the diplomatic fanfare as evidenced in President Koroma’s speech, one can only view that Yenga is an existing problem of our times. For example, President Koroma said “we will succeed if we hold on together and build bridges”, adding that both countries have a common destiny in the Mano River Union and as members of ECOWAS.<\/p>\n

President Koroma also expressed gratitude for the Guinean support and sacrifices during this country’s rebel conflict. Guineans are believed to have dispatched contingents for peace keeping in both Liberia and Sierra Leone. The high profile UN Special Court trial of Charles Taylor at the UN war crimes tribunal can indeed be considered a signal to show that no matter under what circumstances, nations should abide by the rules of international law. The international community is very sensitive to laws concerning borders, although they are sometimes considered to be porous. Taylor being tried at the war crimes tribunal at The Hague in Holland without leniency over the long standing historical and cultural relations between Sierra Leone and Liberia should send warnings to the Guineans to reconsider engaging formal protocols that may eventually lead to Sierra Leone regaining Yenga without further delays.<\/p>\n

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\nYenga: A Cause Betrayed?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Concord Times (Freetown) With John Momoh 13 May 2011 opinion Freetown \u2014 One thing that many people still consider awkward and funny is the unfortunate issue of Sierra Leone celebrating 50 years of Independence as a sovereign nation at a time that our culturally tied French-speaking neighbour, Guinea still illegally occupying a stretch of land called Yenga, a land that does not only belong to this country but a border town along the Mekano River (or Mano River) which irrefutably belongs to Sierra Leone since colonial days. What is undeniable is that for decades even before 1961 when Sierra Leone became an independent and sovereign nation, records from the archives in France and Britain indicate that the beacon to mark the boundary between the two sisterly countries, Sierra Leone and Guinea, was pitched in the middle of the Mekano River, the same river that constitutes the boundary between Liberia and Sierra Leone. Thus it was a normal practice that once someone crosses the small river and land at Yenga on the Sierra Leone side, customs duties were paid to Sierra Leonean authorities, and once you are going to French Guinea and land anywhere after crossing the beacon in the river, taxes were paid to Guinean authorities with receipts and other documents issued in French. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":410647,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-425105","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\nYenga: A Cause Betrayed? - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/16\/yenga-a-cause-betrayed\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Yenga: A Cause Betrayed? - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Concord Times (Freetown) With John Momoh 13 May 2011 opinion Freetown \u2014 One thing that many people still consider awkward and funny is the unfortunate issue of Sierra Leone celebrating 50 years of Independence as a sovereign nation at a time that our culturally tied French-speaking neighbour, Guinea still illegally occupying a stretch of land called Yenga, a land that does not only belong to this country but a border town along the Mekano River (or Mano River) which irrefutably belongs to Sierra Leone since colonial days. What is undeniable is that for decades even before 1961 when Sierra Leone became an independent and sovereign nation, records from the archives in France and Britain indicate that the beacon to mark the boundary between the two sisterly countries, Sierra Leone and Guinea, was pitched in the middle of the Mekano River, the same river that constitutes the boundary between Liberia and Sierra Leone. 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