Published: April 17, 2025
MONROVIA – ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) has denounced as “grossly misleading and inaccurate” a recent report by the Daily Observer suggesting the steel giant is defying the Liberian government by blocking a sanctioned environmental study within its concession zone. The company has demanded the newspaper issue a prominent correction, warning that such reporting undermines public trust and misrepresents both legal context and factual timelines.
The article in question, published April 10 under the provocative banner “ArcelorMittal Defies Liberian Government,” claimed AML rebuffed government-backed efforts to facilitate an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) by Ivanhoe Atlantic, a competing mining firm negotiating access to Liberia’s Yekepa-Buchanan rail line. Citing internal documents and government sources, the Observer reported that AML barred Ivanhoe’s team from the Tokadeh mining site in Nimba County—despite directives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Ministries of Mines and Energy (MME) and Transport (MoT).
But in a detailed letter to the newspaper dated April 14 and signed by AML’s Communications Manager Winston Daryou, the company forcefully rejected claims of defiance, insisting its actions were guided strictly by the legal limits of its Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) with the Government of Liberia.
“Let us be absolutely clear: ArcelorMittal Liberia has never defied the Government of Liberia,” the letter stated. “We remain a law-abiding corporate partner, committed to honoring our MDA… The article’s central claim, that AML obstructed a government-sanctioned ESIA, is both misleading and inflammatory.”
The dispute centers on access to the Tokadeh mine—a critical zone within AML’s operational concession. According to the company, no third-party entity, including Ivanhoe, can be granted entry into the active mining site without adherence to legal protocols under the existing MDA, which does not yet reflect provisions included in a pending Third Amendment.
The company further pointed out that the Ministry of Mines and Energy’s request for AML’s cooperation arrived on March 18—one day after the ESIA was scheduled to begin. “Effectively making timely review, coordination and response impossible,” AML stated. “The Daily Observer’s article failed to present this crucial timeline.”
In a formal response to MME dated March 21, AML CEO Michiel van der Merwe reiterated that the company was not opposed to lawful collaboration, but stressed that access requests must be backed by proper legal instruments. AML also noted that Ivanhoe’s team was allowed to conduct assessments in Buchanan and other non-sensitive areas along the rail corridor, and only Tokadeh was restricted for legal and safety reasons.
“This was not an act of obstruction—it was an act of legal compliance,” the company argued.
The fallout from the incident comes amid broader tensions surrounding the government’s plan to transition the Yekepa-Buchanan rail into a multiuser system by 2030, as outlined in Executive Order No. 136 by President Joseph Boakai. The rail corridor—central to Liberia’s iron ore exports—is currently operated solely by AML, whose MDA remains valid until 2030. Ivanhoe Atlantic, one of the potential future users, is negotiating terms for access and has pledged over US$1.6 billion in projected revenue for the country.
In the Observer’s report, sources alleged that AML’s actions effectively delayed a crucial ESIA mission, which included biodiversity studies, air and water sampling, and community consultations. The team was reportedly turned away twice at the Tokadeh gate on March 21 and 22 by AML security personnel, despite carrying official letters from MoT and MME. Government officials have disputed AML’s timeline, suggesting correspondence was delivered ahead of the ESIA schedule.
However, AML counters that it never received binding legal authority that would override the current MDA terms. The company said it is willing to support a multiuser rail vision—but only through structured, negotiated, and legally sound agreements.
“We continue to support infrastructure sharing, lawful collaboration, and the Government’s vision for multiuser rail access—so long as it is implemented through structured, transparent, and legally sound processes,” AML said.
Adding weight to its position, AML cited a March 14 communication from the National Investment Commission (NIC), which acknowledged the company’s legal position and confirmed that the matter was under review by the Inter-Ministerial Concessions Committee, with legal advice from the Ministry of Justice.
The company also rebuked the Observer’s use of inflammatory language such as describing AML as a “State within a State.”
“Such framing undermines objective journalism and serves no constructive purpose in a complex national dialogue,” Daryou stated.
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