Africa-Press – Liberia. The ongoing border crisis between Guinea and Liberia at the Sorlumah crossing in Lofa County has sparked widespread panic among business owners and daily cross-border travelers, grinding commerce to a near halt.
Guinean national security forces reportedly crossed into Liberia’s side of the border amid escalating disputes in Lofa County, the home town of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, triggering a standoff that has paralyzed normal activities.
What was once a vibrant artery for trade, with traders hauling sacks of rice, yams, and palm oil under the tropical sun, now stands eerily quiet.
Markets that buzzed with haggling voices and the clatter of weighing scales have seen customer traffic dwindle, leaving stalls piled high with unsold goods under dusty tarps.
A tour by FrontPage Africa reporter through border towns in Bong and Nimba counties reveals free movement of people persists, but major investments and bulk trading have evaporated.
“We used to cross daily with our goods, but now it’s too risky,” said Annie Sackie and Esther Williams a 45-year-old Liberian cloth merchant from Ganta.
“Guinean buyers vanished after the Lofa clash; they’re scared of attacks.” Her counterpart, Guinean trader Sanie Flomo , echoed the fear.
“One wrong move, and you’re caught in the crossfire. Business is dead.” At the bustling Ganta-Guinea border, Thursdays still draw throngs of people women balancing baskets on their heads, motorbike taxis weaving through crowds but the mood has shifted.
Since the Lofa incident, where reports emerged of stone-throwing skirmishes and brief armed patrols, business volume has plummeted.
Our Nimba County correspondent observed long lines at immigration posts, but few venture beyond for trade. Travelers huddle in groups, whispering about rumors of ambushes, their faces etched with anxiety under the relentless afternoon heat.
The crisis echoes past flare-ups, like the 2019 border closures over smuggling disputes, but this one hits harder amid Liberia’s post-election economic recovery.
Business activities across both sides have nosedived from 90% capacity to just 10%, with traders rerouting to the safer Ivory Coast border. This shift
has slashed Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) collections, starving local governments of customs duties that fund roads and schools.
Empty parking lots at border markets, once filled with gleaming Toyota pickups loaded with fuel drums and electronics, now collect puddles from recent rains.
Joint security teams from both nations patrol diligently, manning checkpoints with rifles slung over shoulders and radios crackling.
Yet, the chill persists: travelers delay crossings, and business communities hold back, awaiting de-escalation. Officials from Liberia’s Ministry of National Security promised dialogue in a recent statement, urging calm while deploying additional peacekeepers.
“The situation is contained, but we understand the fears,” said a border police spokesperson in Ganta. From Lofa to Bong and Nimba counties, borders remain physically safe no major violence reported beyond the initial incursion but the economic ripple effects fester.
Frustrated traders plead for swift resolution between these sister nations, whose shared history of trade dates back decades. Without it, livelihoods hang by a thread, and the once-thriving cross-border economy risks long-term damage.
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