The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) has voiced serious concern and condemned a violent confrontation between its Inspectorate Team and illegal dredgers in Gonelor, Tewor Mining District, Grand Cape Mount County. Several enforcement officers were injured, two vehicles damaged, a motorcycle confiscated, and communication equipment reportedly seized.
The incident occurred during an operation carried out with joint security personnel to combat unauthorized mining across Liberia. County Mine Officer Flomo Gamah said the targeted operations lacked valid permits and violated mining laws.
Two dredges were set ablaze during the exercise, with the Ministry citing the suspected use of mercury and other hazardous chemicals and the risk of river pollution. Gamah added that some operators were foreign nationals, including Ghanaians, working without mining permits.
The situation turned violent when hundreds of illicit miners confronted the team, injuring several state security officers and damaging government-associated property. Gamah said some individuals poured gasoline on a vehicle while team members were still inside, apparently trying to set it alight.
Other team members escaped to a town chief’s residence, where they stayed for several hours amid threats, as rioters pelted the house with stones and blocked nearby roads. The Director of Mines, Alwell Aloysius Carr, has recalled Mining Agent D.W. Isaac Robert Wonkpiah from all duties in the Tewor Mining District with immediate effect.
More details to follow.
