MONROVIA – Negotiations between High Power Exploration Inc. (HPX) and the Liberian government over the ambitious Liberty Corridor project have hit a deadlock, with both sides entrenched in their positions. Documents obtained by The Liberian Investigator reveal sharp disagreements, as HPX accuses the government of deliberate delays while the National Investment Commission (NIC) insists its actions are critical for accountability, transparency and fairness to existing agreements.
The Liberty Corridor project is a proposed initiative expected to connect Guinea and Liberia via a state-of-the-art rail system, a new deep-water port at Didia, an upgraded road network in Nimba County, and an extended hydropower grid from Côte d’Ivoire. These developments are intended to enable HPX to transport iron ore from Guinea through Liberia.
Despite the lack of a ratified agreement, in a communication dated August 23, 2024, HPX President and CEO Bronwyn Barnes expressed the company’s readiness to provide substantial budgetary support for the establishment and initial operations of a National Rail Authority. “We are prepared to provide budgetary support to the Government of Liberia for the formation and initial operations of the National Rail Authority. This demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that the rail management system operates under the highest international industry standards and with full transparency,” Barnes stated.
The proposed budgetary support is structured under a payment arrangement and will take effect upon the successful conclusion of the Access [Rail] Agreement with the Liberian government.
However, in a letter dated November 27, 2024, Barnes voiced frustration over repeated demands for documentation already submitted, calling the process “redundant” and questioning the NIC’s good faith. “The NIC appears to be suggesting that further progress in negotiating the Concession Access Agreement (CAA) is dependent on revisiting previous approvals… This casts doubt on the government’s commitment to timely resolution,” she wrote. Barnes warned that further delays could force HPX to invoke its remedy rights under the Framework Agreement.
HPX also criticized the Liberian government’s proposed multi-user operator model for the transport infrastructure, arguing that it undermines their rights and contradicts Executive Order 136, which advocates for fair access to Liberia’s infrastructure. “Such an approach will only occasion further delays and harm Liberia’s development goals,” Barnes noted.
However, the Liberian government, led by NIC Chairman Jeff B. Blibo, has taken a resolute stance. In his November 28, 2024, letter, Blibo defended the government’s approach, stating the complexity of the project and the need for thorough due diligence. “Far from creating unnecessary delays, these requests are integral to advancing the negotiation process responsibly,” he stated, stating that updated submissions and consultations with the Government of Guinea (GOG) are essential to ensuring the project’s legal and operational viability. HPX’s CEO believes the Liberian government should not be consulting the Government of Guinea on the matter.
Blibo also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a multi-user operator model designed to promote fairness, transparency, and operational efficiency. “The government will not compromise on a model that ensures open access and protects Liberia’s long-term economic interests,” he asserted.
In October, when The Liberian Investigator visited HPX’s designated operational site in Guinea’s Gbakore, just under an hour’s drive from the Liberian border, the area was eerily quiet. Guarded by armed soldiers and showing no signs of mining activity, the site appeared frozen in time. A rusting billboard reading “Société des Mines de Fer de Guinée” stands at the entrance, offering a stark reminder of the stalled progress.
One of the guards, pointing to the distant mountains, joked, “Liberia, you finish chopping your own, now you want our own to pass through you. It won’t happen.” The company is yet to obtain greenlight from the Guinea junta regime to transport its iron ore through Liberia.
In Lola, a nearby town hosting the SMFG office, the situation is similarly bleak. Overgrown grass overruns the building’s premises, and security guards confirmed a lack of activity. “Our bosses come by 8 AM and leave by 10 AM,” a guard told The Liberian Investigator, adding that the company had laid off most of its staff, including foreign workers. According to him, Guinea’s new government has stalled mining operations, insisting that HPX build a railway within Guinea. “They want to pass it through Liberia, and that is where the problem is,” he said.
Repeated efforts to obtain comments from SMFG representatives in Lola were unsuccessful, with staff either in meetings or absent during visits by The Liberian Investigator.
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