GoL & BMMC in secret 25yrs MDA deal (Pt1)

By Othello B. Garblah

The Government of Liberia is currently rushing through a new 25-year Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) with Turkish Mining Company, Bea Mountain, or BMMC just less than two months before general and presidential elections.

As a matter of urgency, lawmakers have abandoned their various campaigns and have returned to the Capitol in what has been described as a rush to see the BMMC deal over the line before the October 10 polls. There are allegations though unproven that money may be the motivation behind such rush.

The Bea Mountain Mining Company operation is in Kinjor, Grand Capemount County and has three years remaining on its current agreement.

Meanwhile, its operations over time have been marred by series of protests mainly from employees and locals in surrounding villages over bad labor practices, water pollution and alleged land grab. The company has also been accused of failing to live up to the current MDA.

Unlike ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) Limited, whose third MDA renewal hit a snag due to some hidden clauses after the document landed at the capitol for ratification, BMMC’s new 25 years MDA has been shrouded in secrecy. Not much has been heard of this new deal, yet there appears to be a rush to see it over the line as soon as possible.

This latest move by both the Liberian Government and BMMC has raised eyebrows especially when BMMC’s operations have been characterized by protests and accusations, with claims that it failed to live up to clauses in its current MDA.

Protests and Accusations

In January 2022, tension brewed at the company over its failure to live up to its agreement. Citizens of the county before then had been complaining of lack of employment opportunities at the company.

They alleged that the company continues to bring in foreign nationals to do jobs that they are capable of during and thereby depriving them of employment opportunities.

Days later, three of its employees were allegedly held hostage by members of the Matambo Community in the concession area, as a way of forcing the company to comply with the MDA.

Experts said the Government of Liberia was to be blamed for the current crisis at Bea Mountain. The granting of permits to foreigners to provide security and painting of the company compound and other jobs that do not require expats has fueled the tension at the concession area.

Part of the problem experts also claimed is Government’s repeated failure to bring local citizens on board during the discussion of possible Mineral Development Agreements.

The recruitment of foreign nationals for jobs that Liberians could do also drew criticism from the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) which called for enforcement of the Liberianization Policy at the company.

In February 2022, INCHR chairman, Cllr. T. Dampster Brown brought this to a national debate accusing Bea Mountain Mining Company of operating in total disregard to the Labour Law of Liberia.

Cllr. Brown accused BMMC, saying the company failed to adhere to the Liberianization Policy that is intended to provide job opportunities for citizens of Liberia.

Repeated protests and disputes between BMMC and local communities compared the House to instruct its joint committee on Mines & Energy and Labor to review recent violence and potential threats to national security and rule of law at the company.

The House took the decision here on Tuesday, 20 June, during its regular session following a communication from Representative, Thomas A. Goshua, in which he cited potential threats to national security and the rule of law at the company.

According to Rep. Goshua, he received a complaint from a member of his constituency, who works for Bea Mountain Mining Corporation in Kinjor, Grand Cape Mount that on June 4, 2023, a group of persons believed to be in the employ of Bea Mountain engaged in violent activities wherein they mobbed and beat up several employees of the company, including expats and the company’s lawyer who was nearly killed.-To be continued.