MONROVIA – The environmental media watchdog, Journalists for the Protection of Nature (JPN Liberia), has alarmed over what it calls a sinister plan allegedly being masterminded by the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and the Ministry of Mines and Energy, to evade the proposed protected forest area, the Krahn-Bassa Forest situated in southeastern Liberia.
The environmental media watchdog also accused FDA and Mines Ministry officials of harboring plans to evade the Gola Forest National Party that is protected by the country’s conservation law.
The group has warned that if the portion of the proposed protected forest area situated within River Cess County, is evaded for mining purposes, as it’s being pursued by FDA Managing Director, Rudolph J. Merab and Deputy Mines Minister Fahnseth B. Mulbah, this will scare away donors, leading to strain in needed donor funding toward the country’s conservation efforts that have in time past been heavily supported by international partners including the European Union and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
“We consider this move on the part of officials of the FDA and the Ministry of Mines as a gross undermining of Liberia’s commitment to meeting the Bonne Challenge of conserving 1 million hectares, which constitutes 30 percent of Liberia’s forest area,” stated JPN Executive Director, Joseph O. Sayon, who accused FDA Managing Director Rudolph Merab and Deputy Mines Minister for Planning and Research, Fahnseth Mulbah of conniving to hand over a vast portion of the Krahn-Bassa Forest to GLM Mining Company, a subsidiary of Bea Mountain Mining Company, for mining purposes.
Sayon disclosed that the Krahn-Bassa Forest is currently undergoing land formulation to complete the process of gazetting in preparation for legislative approval and enactment into law, emphasizing that JPN Liberia, as a civil society organization established since 2014, views this latest action on the part of FDA Managing Director Merab and Deputy Mines Minister Mulbah as being detrimental to the principles of conservation and efforts of the donor community aimed at conserving Liberia’s forests.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the press, I want to highlight that from 2006 to 2023, Liberia has made significant strides in promoting conservation activities through the Forestry Development Authority. These efforts led to the creation of the Krahn-Bassa Proposed Protected Area. Unfortunately, this important milestone is now threatened by the current FDA Managing Director, Mr. Rudolph J. Merab,” Sayon told a news conference over the weekend.
He disclosed that during a recent visit of a JPN Liberia investigative and fact-finding team to communities surrounding the Krahn-Bassa Proposed Protected Area, it was discovered that many local leaders and community members had previously embraced conservation. However, they are now being coerced by the FDA boss and others including River Cess County Legislative Caucus chair, Senator Wellington Geevon Smith, into supporting mining activities in the area.
“It is also important to add that this unfortunate undertaking on the part of the FDA Managing Director and some officials of the Mines Ministry to evade a proposed protected area and a protected area, the Gola Forest, will scare away donors; leading to strain in needed donor support, thereby undermining Pillard-Five of the Arrest Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), and present the country to the rest of the world as being unserious in the fight against climate change,” he maintained.
The JPN Liberia Executive Director then called on Mr. Merab and his associates to immediately abort their “sinister plan” of granting mining license in the Krahn-Bassa Forest, which is endowed with endangered species such as the flying lizard that is new to science.
“Also, ladies and gentlemen of the press, having confirmed that Mr. Merab and his technical and commercial team will be traveling to the Gola Forest next week, to initiate a logging plan, which will subsequently pave the way for logging activities in the Gola Forest National Park, which is protected by law, we are calling on the FDA Managing Director and his accomplices to halt all planned activities in the Krahn-Bassa Forest, and the Gola Forest National Park,” Sayon emphasized.
