A Chinese-owned company mining the Black Sand along the Marshall coast is involved in cutting off the mangrove forests in search of the “black mineral sand” as the land owners demand their immediate evacuation to preserve their environment from future disasters.
Following a visit to the site on Saturday, April 6, 2024, a day after the Liberian government halted the company’s operations, residents confirmed that while daytime activities ceased, mining continued illegally at night, in defiance of the government’s orders.
Local workers, who claim to have been marginalized, disclosed harrowing working conditions, including meager wages of only $120 USD per month, lack of accommodation, inadequate healthcare, and absence of other benefits. One worker, identified as Poguoi, lamented the dire situation, revealing that they sleep on the beach or in unfinished buildings without proper facilities or care when sick.
Mr. Alex C. Gontee, along with his wife Mrs. Talloh K. Gontee, owners of 16.5 acres of land unlawfully occupied by the company, condemned the actions as egregious and unacceptable. Mr. Gontee, a former Vice Presidential candidate of The Grassroots Development Movement (GDM), emphasized the severe environmental and economic ramifications of the company’s operations, stressing the urgent need for government intervention.
According to him, the company is carrying out inland dredging on their land which is recipe to a terrible future disaster.
“It’s an exploitation and slaps in the face of we the Liberians that someone will come on your land unknown to you and do whatever the want to do” Mr. Gontee explained.
Mrs. Gontee demanded the immediate evacuation of the company from their land to prevent further harm.
Similarly, Madam Julia Mionyah Karmo, who owns 30 acres of encroached land, urged swift government action to expel the company, highlighting the lack of transparency regarding the value and usage of black sand in the global market.
” We have done some research, one of these bags of the Black Sand is sold for USD 3000.00 in the world market. How much Liberia is benefiting? nobody knows as the use of Black Sand is unknown to us,” Ms. Mionyan explained.
The Chinese company’s purported owners, identified only as Ms. Qin and Mr. Huang, offered no substantive response when approached by journalists, indicating a lack of willingness to address the allegations raised against them.
In addition to violating environmental regulations, the company’s operations raise questions about labor rights and economic fairness, as local workers endure exploitation while the true value of the extracted resources remains unclear.
Calls for government intervention and stricter enforcement of environmental laws echo across affected communities, underscoring the need for sustainable and responsible mining practices in Liberia.
As investigations into the company’s activities continue, stakeholders await concrete actions to address the violations and safeguard the environment and livelihoods of those impacted by its operations.
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