FREETOWN, Feb 28, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Sierra Leone on Friday announced the release of its soldiers and police officers who had been detained this week by the Guinean army, following a flare-up in border tensions.

The neighbours each accused the other's military of crossing the border, with Freetown claiming that Guinean troops seized Sierra Leonean soldiers and police after clashes.

"All security officers arrested by the Guinean authorities have been safely handed over to Sierra Leone," the information ministry said on social media.

Uniformed troops were seen in photographs posted by the ministry, alongside Foreign Minister Timothy Kabba.

Guinea's Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah confirmed to AFP that the authorities in Sierra Leone "came this morning".

"They were informed that their soldiers and police officers would be handed back to them, and that has been done," he added.

On Thursday, Bah promised that the dispute would be settled quickly through diplomacy.

Guinea and Sierra Leone share a border more than 700 kilometres long (435 miles).

In April and May last year, troop movements on both sides of the border caused panic and concern among locals.

The latest incident took place in the village of Yenga, which has been contested for more than 20 years. Sierra Leone claims it but Guinean soldiers are still on the ground there.

Both countries belong to a number of regional groupings such as the west African bloc ECOWAS and, with Liberia and Ivory Coast, the Mano River Union.