Illegal Mining Threatens Forest, Biodiversity in Lofa County
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Loading... - Ashanti Quaye
- 01 May 2023
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Illegal mining activities are taking place on the Lofa River around the towns of Bedayzibath, Kazza, Duogomai and Bortisu in Voinjama District.
Over thirty (30) foreign nationals from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Mali and Nigeria are suspects edited final of the illicit mining activities, Liberia Forest Media Watch has uncovered.
Happening around the borders between Lofa and Gbarpolu Counties, the illegal mining is not only debasing the Lofa River, it is also threatening sustainable forest initiative and biodiversity as some of the miners are also involved in pit-sawing, medicinal and hunting expeditions.
The location of the mining site facilitates the illicit trades of the gold, diamonds, planks, herbs and animals in neighboring countries of Guinea and Sierra Leone. The miners reside in tanks erected in the forest, not too far from the water where they conduct their mining activities.
One of the miners, Lamine Konneh, confessed to mining on an expired clearance issued to him on 10th March 2022 by the Mines & Energy Ministry’s local agent assigned in Voinjama. “I am not a licensed miner for now, but I have a clearance.”
By law, the timeframe for mining clearance should not exceed a week of operation. It is issued to give time to the miner to obtain his/her license. Not only does Lamine Konneh operate on expired clearance, he is also using dredges to carry out the mining activities. Four active dredges were observed along the Lofa River during our visit there.
The use of these dredges violate government’s ban on dredge mining in Liberia since October 2019. “With immediate effect, the use of dredges on all water bodies within our borders for mining of gold and diamonds is hereby banned”, Mine & Energy’s order of October 29, 2019.
Lamine said he has mined in all counties of Liberia since 2006. "I have spent over eighteen years as a miner beginning with shelves in 2006 and subsequently in 2013, I engaged in dredge mining," said Lamine Konneh. He reported having a little over twenty-five (25) people on his team, assigned at various mining sites under his control.
Lamine bragged that he lived up to his social obligations with the people of Bortisu town despite obtaining little minerals from there. In all this, Lamine has said that he often informs citizens and district authorities before beginning his mining work.
But a prominent resident and Landlord of Bedayzibath town, Gayflor John, refuted the claims made by agent Lamine, that he often informs citizens around the mining towns before commencing his work. “The miners come here to mine without our knowledge, and are only noticed by some of the young people who commute the forests and waters for hunting or fishing purposes”, Mulbah Yoko and Gaylor John disclosed. Read More…
