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ADNews-Monrovia,Liberia:Liberia’s National Legislature is reviewing a Concession and Access Agreement (CAA) that would grant Ivanhoe Liberia Limited the right to transport iron ore from Guinea using Liberia’s existing rail and port infrastructure.
A joint committee hearing of the House of Representatives, chaired by Rep. Foday Fahnbulleh, was held Tuesday to examine key elements of the agreement. Discussions centered on the proposed establishment of an independent rail operator, Ivanhoe’s multi-phase investment plan and anticipated benefits for communities along the rail corridor.
The hearing received strong support from members of the Inter-Ministerial Concessions Commission (IMCC). Senior officials in attendance included representatives of the National Investment Commission, the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Justice, the Acting Minister of Mines and Energy and the Deputy Minister of Finance. According to lawmakers, the officials presented compelling arguments in favor of the agreement and justified President Joseph Boakai’s decision to submit the instrument directly to the Legislature for ratification.
Government ministers reaffirmed their support for the project, citing its potential economic benefits, including job creation and sustained long-term revenue for Liberia.
Government legal advisors also countered claims that the CAA could harm relations with Guinea, presenting a detailed legal analysis showing that the agreement is consistent with existing bilateral arrangements between the two countries.
Officials emphasized that the Liberia–Guinea Implementation Agreement (IA), signed in 2019, already provides a framework to support cross-border mineral transport and does not grant either nation veto authority over the other’s domestic decisions.
Clarification on the 2019 Liberia–Guinea Implementation Agreement:
Recent media reports raised concerns about whether the 2019 IA requires new joint approvals for the Ivanhoe project. However, testimony at Tuesday’s hearing clarified that:
The IA is a cooperation framework, not a joint-approval mechanism.
Both countries retain full sovereignty over decisions within their own borders.
The IA aims to facilitate the movement of Guinean mining products through Liberia and promote shared infrastructure use, not govern or block individual projects.
The Inter-Ministerial and Monitoring Committees created under the IA, officials said, are responsible only for technical coordination matters such as customs and operations.
The IA establishes a two-step process:
1. Guinea confirms that a mining project is eligible for cross-border transport.
2. Liberia decides whether to grant access to its rail and port facilities according to Liberian law.
No clause in the IA allows either government — or any joint committee — to overrule the other’s sovereign decisions.
Officials noted that both countries have already issued all approvals required under the 2019 agreement:
Guinea (2020): The Ministry of Mines authorized SMFG to export iron ore through Liberia.
Liberia (2021): The Ministry of Transport granted SMFG/Ivanhoe Liberia a Right of Access, pending a rail access agreement.
The Concession and Access Agreement currently before the Legislature:
Implements Liberia’s domestic regime for rail and port access; Establishes commercial and multi-user conditions;
Operationalizes Liberia’s 2021 approval for cross-border ore transport.
The CAA does not create new international rights and does not require approval from the Government of Guinea.
Liberia and Guinea have already approved the use of Liberia’s rail corridor for transporting Guinean iron ore. These approvals stand as sovereign, legally sufficient authorizations.
The legislative review now underway concerns Liberia’s domestic implementation and commercial terms associated with the CAA. Remaining requirements, including environmental and technical studies, are administrative processes, not political negotiations.
Under the IA, the next step is for both governments to finalize the commercial and operational arrangements through the Concession and Access Agreement.
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