PHOTO: Nimba County District #7 Rep. Musa Bility
By K. Ericson Sayee, Contributing Writer
Monrovia, March 16, 2026—As tensions continue soar at the Liberia–Guinea border since March 2, 2026, Representative Musa Hassan Bility has expressed a public discontentment with the decision of Liberia and Sierra Leone to convene a diplomatic dialogue with Guinea, which is currently the aggressor in the current borders fracas among three countries.
The Nimba County Electoral District #7 Representative, who is also political leader of the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC), said that in situations where one country is the aggressor in a border dispute, his disagreement with the decision, it is not appropriate for the affected countries to go to that same country to negotiate under its roof and on its terms.
He added that in the current incidents involving Liberia and Sierra Leone, “Guinea is the aggressor”, noting that fact alone should have guided the posture of both countries in how these discussions are arranged.
“I wish to respectfully express my concern about the decision by Liberia and Sierra Leone to travel to Guinea to discuss the current border tensions. In my view, this decision is wrong in principle, weak in posture, and potentially dangerous in its long term consequences”, the Nimba County lawmaker expressed on Monday, March 16, 2026, via his social media handle.
According to him, when a country commits aggressive actions along the border, the proper response is not to travel to that country to resolve the matter. Doing so, he added, risks creating the appearance that we are approaching the situation from a position of weakness rather than from the position of equal sovereign states.
He then recommended that such a convergence should be arranged at a place that is of no party to the conflict, or that is not a progenitor of brouhaha that is currently creating tensions at the Liberia–Guinea border.
Bility said: “A matter of this seriousness should have been addressed on neutral ground. Countries such as Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, or another mutually agreed location could have hosted such discussions. In addition, the involvement of other regional leaders or ECOWAS would have ensured balance, transparency, and confidence in the process”.
Backing his sentiments with past history, the CMC political leader says history has told that Liberia has lost parts of its territory during the colonial period with powerful colonial support to Guinea and other regional countries –something he says Liberia should be mindful as it should not bow to pressure that caused Liberia to lose territory once belonged to Liberia.
“My concern is also shaped by history. Liberia has already lost significant portions of its territory during earlier periods of our national development, particularly during the colonial era when powerful neighboring colonial administrations exerted pressure that resulted in the loss of large areas of land that were once associated with Liberia,” Bility asserted.
He indicated that those losses are not just historical facts, but they are lessons which should remind us that territorial questions must always be handled with firmness, clarity, and national confidence, adding that the ‘posture we take when our borders are challenged today will determine whether our borders remain secure tomorrow’.
The opposition CMC leader noted the current borders of Liberia must be protected with seriousness and dignity, and every action Liberians take in response to disputes must reinforce the message that Liberia will safeguard its territorial integrity and will not allow situations that may gradually weaken the country’s position over time.
Rep. Bility clarified that at no time he will support conflict, but it should also be made clear that a peaceful dialogue requires a neutral ground, expressing his support for dialogue:
“Let me be clear. I am not advocating conflict and I am not opposed to dialogue. Dialogue is necessary and peace must always remain our goal. However, there is an important difference between pursuing peace and surrendering national posture,” he added.
“Sometimes the responsible course is to stand firm and insist that discussions take place in a neutral environment where all parties meet as equals and where regional partners can help guarantee fairness”.
According to him, going to Guinea to negotiate with Guinea over incidents in which Guinea, according to him, is the aggressor sends the wrong signal, adding that it risks weakening our national position and undermining confidence among our own citizens.
The CMC political arrowhead divulged that Liberia must always defend its dignity, its sovereignty, and the integrity of its borders, and the decisions Liberians through the leaders of this country make today must ensure that tomorrow Liberians do not find ourselves explaining the loss of more land or more communities along our frontiers.
For these reasons, the Nimba County Lawmaker firmly believes that the current approach to convene a meeting in Guinea is misguided and that Liberia should insist on a neutral venue and a broader regional framework for resolving this dispute.
Rep. Bility’s statement ensued from the Liberian President Joseph N. Boakai’s decision to participate in a tripartite meeting which is expected to be convened in Guinea by the Mano River Union countries, including Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Ivory Coast in order to discuss the current border matters affecting Liberia and Guinea, and Guinea and Sierra Leone on the other hand.
While these countries’ heads of State are heading to Guinea on Monday, March 16, 2026, it has been reported that a huge troop from the Guinean army has been begun sending soldiers at Liberia–Guinea, which many Liberians have condemned on the part of Guinea as there is an already planned diplomatic meeting in Conakry.