Following the completion of the theoretical delineation, Abidjan and Conakry will begin, this
Wednesday, June 25, 2025, the field data collection operation for the final delimitation of the two countries’ land borders.
“Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea have established the Joint Technical Commission for Border Demarcation, which has already adopted the theoretical delineation of the border between the two countries,” said
Mr. Diakalidia Konat”, Executive Secretary of the National Border Commission of Côte d’Ivoire (CNF-CI), on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
Diakalidia Konat” was speaking at the celebration of African Border Day (JAF 2025) in Gbapleu, a village in the Kouhan-Houlé sub-prefecture, in the Danané department (western Ivory Coast).
A team of experts from both countries will begin technical reconnaissance along this border on Wednesday, he announced, adding that “this team will travel the entire border to collect coordinates that will help refine the theoretical route and finalise the definitive border line between the two countries.”
“They are here with us. I ask you to give them a warm and fraternal welcome in the villages and camps they will visit. After this mission, they will have all the information necessary to definitively delineate the border between Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea,” he emphasised.
The land border with Liberia was delineated between France and Liberia during colonial times, he said, adding that “it is therefore a matter of updating the data to reaffirm this border by reconstructing new markers in place of the current ones.”
Cross-border cooperation
The Joint Technical Commission, composed of experts from both countries and tasked with this mission, was established on June 16, 2025, in Monrovia, Mr. Konat” announced, urging the populations of Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia to “fraternally” welcome the teams who will visit their villages to confirm the border demarcation.
This year, the African Border Day festivities are being held around the theme: “What contributions can border stakeholders make to strengthening cross-border cooperation and peaceful coexistence at our borders?”
The choice of the village of Gbapleu, he said, is due to the fact that it is “the town on the border of three brotherly countries, a symbol of unity between Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Liberia, and of
cooperation in the Mano Rivers area.”
The head of the Guinean delegation, Bala Oular, sub-prefect of N’Zoo in Guinea, called on local Liberian and Guinean communities to work for social cohesion and uphold the values of peace and security along the borders.
The head of the Liberian delegation, Emmanuel Wheinyue, representing the Minister of Internal Affairs, emphasised that, in reality, there are no borders between peoples, only imaginary ones.
He noted that Liberia hosted a meeting on borders in Africa from June 16 to 19, 2025, and commended Mr. Konaté’s leadership in relations between his country and Côte d’Ivoire to create a space for living and security at the borders.
Mr. Wheinyue called on the authorities, youth and traditional leaders to be attentive to all flows at the borders so that there are no illegal activities such as drug trafficking, terrorism, and above all to collaborate with the security forces.
Border Governance
“Our West African sub-region is experiencing a profound security crisis due to the activities of terrorist groups operating in the Sahel. You therefore have an extremely important role to play in
preserving peace by remaining vigilant and excluding any discourse or actions that tend to divide, create unrest, or threaten peace and security,” Mr. Konat” addressed the population.
“In our border areas, there are many land-related conflicts due to the non-materialisation of our borders, conflicts between herders and farmers, and conflicts related to the management of our shared resources, particularly water and forests,” he stated, maintaining that solutions can be found through dialogue.
The Prefect of the Danane Department (western Côte d’Ivoire), Ahoutou N’Guessan, representing the Prefect of the Tonkpi Region, welcomed this initiative, which helps eliminate sources of tension at the borders and boost the development of the population’s living environment.
The 2025 African Border Day was marked by a parade of delegations, performances by dance groups, sports events, and a shared meal. The CNF-CI donated a hydraulic pump and a set of computer equipment to the Kouhan-Houle sub-prefecture.
Through the celebration of African Border Day, the African Union (AU) aims to popularise the borders program it has been implementing since 2007 to provide concrete solutions to the problems African countries face along their borders.
The project is supported by the IOM and GIZ.
AP/Sf/fss/as/APA