Liberia Civil Society: Calls for Mining Contracts Moratorium

• A coalition of Liberian civil society groups has called for a moratorium on new long-term mining contracts.
• The groups argue that signing new Mineral Development Agreements under the 26-year-old mining law would perpetuate weak oversight and lost revenue.
• Mining accounts for about one-fifth of Liberia's GDP, but decades of extraction have not benefited local communities.
• Recent government inspections have revealed numerous instances of companies mining outside permit limits or without valid licenses.
• The civil society consortium urges President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the legislature to implement the moratorium to allow for comprehensive legal reform.

The coalition's strong belief that new long-term Mineral Development Agreements under an outdated legal framework risk perpetuating existing governance weaknesses forms the crux of their argument.

A consortium of Liberian civil society organizations has formally urged the government to halt the approval of new long-term mining agreements. This significant appeal, made by the CSO Consortium on Minerals, Mining, and Inclusive Sustainable Development during a press conference in Monrovia on Monday, October 26, calls for a nationwide Liberia mining contracts moratorium. The coalition specifically addressed President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the national legislature, advocating for a pause on new Mineral Development Agreements (MDAs) until the nation's 26-year-old mining legislation undergoes comprehensive reform.

These MDAs are critical instruments, typically spanning 25 years or more, that dictate the operational terms for major mining corporations and gain legal authority upon legislative ratification. The civil society groups contend that proceeding with new or additional long-term agreements under the existing, outdated legal framework would only entrench current governance deficiencies. This stance underscores a key aspect of President Boakai mining policy discussions, highlighting the perceived risks of perpetuating systemic weaknesses in the extractive sector.

The consortium, which includes prominent organizations such as the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia, Integrity Watch Liberia, the Sustainable Development Institute, Medica Liberia, and ActionAid Liberia, believes that without a fundamental overhaul, the nation risks locking in practices detrimental to its development.

Mining plays a pivotal role in Liberia's economy, contributing approximately one-fifth of its gross domestic product and forming the backbone of its export sector, with iron ore and gold being the primary commodities. Despite this economic reliance, the civil society coalition asserts that decades of extensive extraction have failed to translate into commensurate benefits for local communities, such as job creation, improved public services, or overall development. This disparity is attributed to a range of systemic issues, including lax enforcement, pervasive corruption, the export of raw, unprocessed ore, a lack of transparency, significant environmental degradation, and the marginalization of local populations from decision-making processes.

These concerns are corroborated by external analyses. A March 2026 assessment conducted by Forest Trends, a research group based in Washington, reached similar conclusions, indicating that the Liberian government might be losing millions of dollars annually in uncollected mining revenues. Data from the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI) further reveals that mining companies collectively remitted just over $844 million to the state between 2007 and 2023, a figure that the CSOs imply is insufficient given the scale of operations.

Moreover, the environmental footprint of mining operations is substantial. Current mining licenses encompass over two million hectares of forestland within Liberia, a nation that hosts roughly half of the remaining Upper Guinean rainforest, a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot. The call for Liberia 2000 mining law reform and broader Liberia extractive industries reform is thus deeply intertwined with both economic equity and ecological preservation.

The demand for a moratorium follows a year marked by numerous instances of non-compliance and regulatory breaches within Liberia's mining sector. Government inspectors have repeatedly discovered companies operating beyond their permitted boundaries or entirely without valid licenses. Liberia employs a tiered licensing system: Class C permits are exclusively for Liberian citizens using hand tools, Class B permits cover smaller commercial ventures, while large industrial projects operate under the extensive Mineral Development Agreements Liberia.

In March, a committee from the House of Representatives took action against Hurine Mining Company in Bong County, suspending its operations after investigations confirmed it had exceeded the scope of its Class B license. The following month, the Ministry of Mines and Energy intervened to close JinXin Mining Company in Rivercess County, which was found to be mining without a valid license on land already allocated to another firm, having previously disregarded a stop order issued in January. Shortly thereafter, the ministry also shut down Alex Gee Group of Companies in Grand Gedeh County, whose license had expired. During this period, authorities also dismantled an unlicensed mining site, whose alleged Chinese operators reportedly fled before officials arrived.

Further incidents in June saw officials in Gbarpolu County confiscate excavators being used on a Class C claim, where heavy machinery is explicitly prohibited. In the same county, Chinese nationals were discovered mining under another company's license and outside its designated boundaries. Mines and Energy Minister R. Matenokay Tingban has publicly acknowledged that many holders of small commercial licenses frequently fail to accurately account for the minerals they extract. These issues are not novel, as evidenced by a former minister's attempt in 2024 to seek legal counsel regarding the revocation of licenses issued since 2018, citing correspondence from the president.

The persistent issues highlighted by the CSO Consortium underscore a critical juncture for Liberia's extractive industries. The coalition's strong belief that new long-term Mineral Development Agreements under an outdated legal framework risk perpetuating existing governance weaknesses forms the crux of their argument. Given that MDAs typically bind the nation for decades, any new agreements signed before a thorough Liberia 2000 mining law reform could lock in practices that have historically deprived communities and the state of their rightful share of mineral wealth.

The proposed Liberia mining contracts moratorium is therefore presented not merely as a temporary halt, but as an essential step towards ensuring that future mining operations contribute genuinely to sustainable development and national prosperity. It signals a demand for a more transparent, accountable, and equitable framework that addresses the historical grievances and current regulatory failures. This proactive stance by Liberian civil society mining groups aims to compel a fundamental re-evaluation of how the nation manages its natural resources, ensuring that the benefits of its mineral wealth are broadly shared and its environmental heritage protected.

Lawyers advising clients on Liberian mining investments should anticipate a potential moratorium on new Mineral Development Agreements and increased scrutiny of existing licenses, signaling significant regulatory uncertainty and a higher risk of policy shifts or legal challenges to current contract terms.

Source: Original reporting via news dispatches