В Либерии зафиксирована попытка незаконного захвата территории угольной компании Western Cluster

MONROVIA, September 4, 2026: Tension is reportedly mounting at the Western Cluster Liberia (WCL) concession in Bomi County after unidentified individuals allegedly attempted to occupy part of the company’s operational area, amid claims of involvement by some current and former county officials. The incident occurred Thursday when a group of individuals reportedly entered the concession area in Tubmanburg and attempted to move a 40-foot container onto the premises. A team of journalists visiting the area reportedly observed the container being transported into the concession, but the identity of its owner, its contents and the authority under which it was being moved could not immediately be established. Local residents and eyewitnesses alleged that some current and former officials were behind the move, with claims that the action had received authorization from higher levels of government. However, no documentary evidence was presented to support those claims, and there has been no official confirmation that the government authorized the attempted occupation. One eyewitness alleged that an unnamed former government official had warned that police would be used to remove Western Cluster from the disputed area if the company resisted. The witness further claimed that the area was being sought for the establishment of a wood-processing enterprise. Those allegations could not be independently verified. Witnesses also claimed that the driver transporting the container said he had been instructed by local authorities to take it onto the concession premises. It remains unclear which authority, if any, issued such an instruction. Efforts by journalists to obtain clarification from county officials reportedly failed to establish who authorized the movement of the container or whether local authorities were involved. Western Cluster reportedly resisted the attempted occupation and informed its headquarters in Monrovia about the incident. The Ministry of Mines and Energy was also contacted over the dispute and reportedly maintained that the concession area remains legally under Western Cluster’s control, advising the company to report unauthorized entry onto its operational property. The incident has raised questions over control of the concession area and the authority under which individuals attempted to enter and occupy the property. As of Thursday, the identities of those behind the attempted occupation, the ownership and intended use of the container and whether any government official authorized the action remained unclear. Western Cluster controls iron ore deposits in Bomi Hills, Bea Mountain and Mano River, areas historically associated with Liberia’s mining industry. The deposits were previously operated by companies including the Liberia Mining Company and the National Iron Ore Company before mining activities declined and eventually ceased. India-based Sesa Goa, part of Vedanta Resources, acquired Western Cluster Limited in 2011. The company subsequently suspended major operations amid the Ebola outbreak and later the COVID-19 pandemic before resuming activities following an agreement with the Liberian government in 2022. WCL says it has invested about US$300 million in Liberia, including spending on community development and infrastructure projects. The latest incident comes amid continuing public debate over concession rights, relations between concessionaires and host communities, and the respective authority of local and central government institutions over concession areas. Neither the Bomi County authorities nor the central government had publicly clarified the circumstances surrounding Thursday’s incident at the time of reporting.