Liberia: Liberian Villagers Threaten to Leave Mining Agreement, Citing Broken Promises

Jan 27, 2022 | Varney Kamara, Mongabay
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In 2020, villagers from the Blei and Sehyi Kodoo districts agreed to allow Solway Mining Incorporated to explore for iron-ore deposits in their territory in the Nimba mountain range in northern Liberia. Under pressure, these communities overrode their decade-old conservation management plan and agreed to allow Solway access to community-managed forests in exchange for jobs and funding for health and education. The villagers now say these promises have not been kept and are threatening to withdraw from the deal.