Liberia News :Lawmaker supports the destruction of BMMC facilities

KINJOR- The lawmaker of District Number Two in Grand Cape Mount County, Mohammed Dosi said he supports the destruction of  Bea Mountain Mining Company-BMMC equipment and other facilities.

Representative Dosi with a large number of followers, arrived at the site Thursday after he had a meeting with citizens in the town, Golgoma camp, and Matambo corridor. The chiefs and elders said they were protesting due to the presence of armed men at the mines as well as bad labor practices.

After the meeting, a group of protestors went amok in the town putting two excavators and other machines of the company ablaze.

In an interview the journalists at the scene, he said because the Turkish company hired armed men to the place, it was disappointing.

On whether he was aware of the burning of equipment, he said, he only heard about it but, said: “because the armed people are here to make our people afraid. Why will you bring armed people to the community that you want to work in? That is a conflict,” Dosi told reporters.

Dosi admitted that he wrote his colleague lawmakers to call for the withdrawal of armed men at the mines. According to him, there is no need to hire armed men to be at the mines.

But his statement was debunked by some citizens from Cape Mount who said that BMMC was right to hire armed men to protect its facilities.

According to Amara Folley, a resident of Kinjor, the presence of armed men was necessary due to past experience in which BMMC facilities were destroyed.

According to him, approaching the general elections last year, the National Security team did an assessment of all potential Hotspots in the country and determined that the explosives magazines at Bea Mountain were a potential risk point.

It was realized that the presence of police was not strong enough to withstand any violent activities. So, the Ministry of Justice sought support from the AFL, and the troops were deployed not only at Bea Mountain but also at LEC facilities like Mount Coffee.

More importantly, according to  Section 11.2. a  of the MDA-Mineral Development Agreement signed between the Liberian government and  Bea Mountain states that; “The Company may, directly or by contract with a responsible provider of security services, establish, manage and maintain its own asset and employee security and protection service to protect assets in the Production Area and near other locations at which Company has or maintains property and assets through its security force and to do so always under Law and rules and regulations promulgated by the Ministry of Justice relating to security forces. Such security force shall not bear arms and shall at all times operate subject to the authority of, and coordination with the Liberia National Police.”

Not only that, but also, In section b. says;  “In the event the Company deems it necessary to have armed guards to protect assets in the Production Area and near other locations at which Company has or maintains property and assets, the Company shall make a written request to the Government. The Government shall provide armed guards as needed, which expense shall be borne by the Company.”