A leading diaspora coalition, the Resource Equity Alliance of Liberia (REAL), has issued a strong statement demanding sweeping reforms in Liberia’s natural resource management, warning that the nation’s sovereignty and economic future are “at stake.”
In a press release dated October 31, 2025, the group, comprising Liberian scholars, activists, and professionals across the diaspora, condemned decades of what it described as “government-endorsed looting” of national resources through concession agreements that benefit foreign corporations and domestic elites while leaving ordinary Liberians in poverty.
“Liberia is at a crossroads,” the statement read. “Decades of resource extraction reveal a troubling pattern: our rich natural resources have been poorly managed, leaving everyday Liberians in poverty while foreign interests and elites benefit the most.”
REAL’s statement singled out major mining companies, including ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) and Bea Mountain Mining Corporation (BMMC), accusing both of serious violations of their concession agreements.
According to the group, AML “openly admitted to multiple violations” during a July 10, 2025 Senate hearing, including:
Failing to employ qualified Liberians in executive roles,
Neglecting to establish promised healthcare facilities, and
Failing to contribute to Liberia’s Mineral Research and Development Fund
The group also cited a recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fine against AML over pollution in Nimba County, where local rivers were reportedly contaminated with “elevated levels of iron, lead, selenium, and chromium.” REAL described this as part of a broader pattern of “environmental negligence.”
REAL’s Executive Director, Alergone Morris Kiazolu, called for the permanent cancellation of AML’s proposed Third Amendment to its Mineral Development Agreement (MDA).
“This is not about one company or one railway,” Kiazolu said. “It is about a broken system that allows national assets to be traded away while our people remain poor.”
The group also condemned the 25-year extension granted to Bea Mountain Mining Corporation, referencing a 2024 legislative investigation that found “massive violations of labor, environmental, and social obligations.”
“Foreign nationals were performing jobs reserved for Liberians,” REAL stated. “The company failed to provide scholarships, abandoned educational projects, and misrepresented basic road works as infrastructure development.”
‘Secret Deal’ Over National Equity
REAL’s statement further decried what it called a “governance void,” pointing to a “secret deal” that allegedly reduced Liberia’s national equity stake in ArcelorMittal from 30% to 15% without public consultation or legislative approval.
“This 50% reduction of a national asset was carried out in secrecy,” the group asserted. “It exemplifies the resource curse and confirms that our governance system is designed to favor elites.”
Proposing a ‘New Social Contract’
To break what it described as Liberia’s “resource curse,” REAL is advocating for a complete overhaul of the country’s resource governance system, drawing inspiration from Botswana and Chile, whose models have successfully converted natural wealth into sustainable prosperity.
“We demand a new social contract based on people’s sovereignty,” REAL declared. “Liberia must adopt the Botswana and Chilean frameworks that have turned natural wealth into national prosperity.”
REAL is also calling for amendment of Article 22 of the Liberian Constitution to explicitly state that natural resources belong to the people and that citizens must have direct access to their benefits.
REAL’s Reform Blueprint
Under its proposed “REAL Model,” the group recommends:
50/50 joint ownership of all major concessions between the Liberian state and foreign investors (similar to Botswana’s Debswana partnership)
Establishment of a National Stabilization and Savings Fund modeled after Chile’s Economic and Social Stabilization Fund to protect the economy from commodity price swings.
Creation of a Sovereign Wealth Fund to secure savings for future generations
Demands to Government
REAL outlined a series of immediate actions directed at both the Legislature and the Executive Branch:
For the Legislature:
Permanently cancel AML’s Third Amendment.
Revoke BMMC’s 25-year extension and launch a forensic audit.
Begin constitutional reform to revise Article 22.
For the Executive:
Investigate the 15% equity dilution and identify officials responsible.
Clarify the legal status of conflicting railway contracts between AML and HPX/Ivanhoe.
For all future concessions, REAL urged passage of a “Resource Justice Act” mandating:
50/50 equity ownership in all strategic sectors
A minimum 30% royalty on gross revenue and a windfall profit tax.
Community development funds to ensure direct benefits to mining towns.
‘The Moment to Act Is Now’
REAL’s statement also condemned the Unity Party Government’s decision to uphold the 2023 amendment to the Bea Mountain agreement -a move that reduced the Government of Liberia’s equity from 10% to 5% following a compliance review in May 2025.
Meanwhile, BMMC’s parent company, Avesoro, released a 2024 snapshot highlighting record-breaking gold production and environmental commitments. REAL said this image “starkly contrasts with reality,” pointing to lawsuits, protests, and cyanide spills that have plagued Grand Cape Mount County, where three young protesters were killed.
“This lack of transparency is a serious betrayal of the people of Grand Cape Mount County,” the group stated. “They voted overwhelmingly for the Unity Party, only to face continued exploitation.”
In closing, REAL issued a warning to national leaders:
“The people of Liberia are alert, organized, and tired of broken promises. History will judge every member of the Legislature and Administration harshly if they stay silent. The choice is simple: support foreign interests and elite enrichment, or stand up for Liberia’s sovereignty and its people.”
The statement concluded with a rallying message:
“The path forward is clear. The moment to act is now.”
