PHOTO: CDC Secretary General Jefferson Tamba Koijee
The Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) speaks today with the voice of a movement that has defended Liberia’s peace for nearly two decades. For twelve years in opposition and six years in government, Liberia remained stable because the CDC stood as a disciplined political force. Even while opposing those in power, we refused to endanger the fragile peace of the Republic.
Yet today, barely two years into the Boakai regime, Liberia finds itself staring at a dangerous border crisis.
In Sorlumba, Lofa County, reports from local communities indicate that Guinean military forces seized mining equipment operating along the Mankona River and crossed into Liberian territory. Videos circulating across social media appear to show the Guinean flag raised inside Liberia. Gunshots were reportedly fired, and a citizen was injured.
This is not normal. This is not leadership. This is a dangerous failure of the Boakai regime.
A government that can quickly deploy bulldozers and security forces to demolish the homes of defenseless Liberians now appears unable to defend the dignity of the Republic itself.
And yet, the Liberian people recently witnessed the Boakai regime hurriedly disband a Muslim private security arrangement that had operated peacefully in the country for nearly ten (10) years, providing basic security duties primarily during the month of Ramadan.
However, this same government has failed to respond swiftly to an alarmingly dangerous situation at Liberia’s border, where gun-wielding local thugs were reportedly seen marching openly through Foya City.
Community residents report that these groups are widely believed to be operating under the influence or protection of Josiah Saahkei, Mayor of Foya City, and Njamilah Saah Bornguoi, Commissioner of Foya District.
Such developments raise serious concerns about whether local government authority is being used to shield irregular armed groups operating in a highly sensitive border region.
The Dangerous Role of Minister Francis Sakila Nyumalin
Reports from border communities suggest that mining equipment linked to interests associated with Minister of Internal Affairs Francis Sakila Nyumalin Sr. has been operating in the disputed area. These reports raise a disturbing question:
Did the private interests of a government minister ignite a confrontation between Liberia and Guinea?
Additional information gathered from residents of the area further suggests that sand mining activities along the Makona River may be linked to the widely discussed “$10 million Foya Mansion” reportedly being constructed for President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
These reports raise troubling questions about whether powerful political interests connected to the current administration may be driving the activities that have now placed Liberia in confrontation with its neighbor.
If these reports are accurate, the Liberian people must ask whether Internal Affairs Minister Francis Sakila Nyumalin is using local networks of armed loyalists to protect these interests while peaceful citizens of Foya are left exposed to intimidation and insecurity.
Even more troubling are reports that Njamilah Saah Bornguoi, Commissioner of Foya District-who operates under the authority of Minister Nyumalin; mobilized armed youths to guard these mining activities. Videos circulating online reportedly show groups of men carrying machetes and firearms in Foya and along nearby border areas.
This raises a grave national question:
Has the authority of the Liberian state been turned into a shield for irregular militia operating under the command or protection of Internal Affairs Minister Francis Sakila Nyumalin?
The Liberian people remember the violence in Foya during the 2023 elections, where the same individual, Njamilah Saah Bornguoi, now serving as Commissioner of Foya District, was seen leading a gang of violent actors whose actions resulted in the tragic death of Tamba Momo and injuries to several others.
Was that violence rewarded with appointment to the office of Commissioner of Foya District?
And are the same networks now operating along Liberia’s border?
Nyumalin’s Actions: A Dangerous Threat to the Mano River Union
What is unfolding today is not simply a local dispute.
The reckless actions of officials within the Boakai regime-particularly under the authority of Minister Francis Sakila Nyumalin-now threaten the stability of the entire Mano River sub-region.
The Mano River Union, built from the painful lessons of conflict and war, represents the shared commitment of Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire to preserve peace and cooperation in our region.
Yet today, Liberia’s leadership appears to be dragging the region toward unnecessary tension and instability. The consequences of reckless governance do not stop at national borders. They ripple across the entire region. Our sub-region painfully experienced this during the 1990 wars that began in Liberia and spread across neighboring countries.
The CDC therefore warns that the reckless actions now unfolding in Foya and along the Makona River must not be dismissed as a simple local dispute. When armed irregular groups allegedly connected to government officials operate in a volatile border zone, the consequences can quickly escalate beyond Liberia’s borders.
Such developments risk triggering a regional security incident capable of destabilizing relations within the Mano River Union and activating the peace and security mechanisms of ECOWAS.
Liberia must never again become the spark that ignites instability in West Africa.
A Message to the International Community
The CDC therefore calls upon the international community, ECOWAS, the African Union, the United Nations, the United States, and the European Union to take careful note of the dangerous developments unfolding along the Liberia–Guinea border.
The world stood with Liberia when our country was rebuilding peace after years of devastating conflict. That hard-earned peace must not now be endangered by weak leadership, reckless administration, or the private interests of powerful officials.
Liberia’s sovereignty must be respected. The stability of the Mano River Union must be protected. And the Liberian people deserve leadership that defends the Republic rather than exposing it to humiliation and danger.
For eighteen years, the CDC demonstrated that leadership can preserve peace and national dignity. Today the Liberian people must ask a difficult question:
How did a nation that remained stable for nearly two decades suddenly face a border crisis in just two years of the Boakai regime?
Liberia deserves answers.
Signed:
Jefferson Tamba Koijee
National Secretary General, Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)