The Inquirer (Monrovia)
Charles B. Yates
24 March 2008
It seems to be that all is not well with Liberian Miners Association as the miners continue to cry foul in the hands of the American Miners Association (AMA).
In a mass acquaintance meeting held on Saturday, the Mineral Civil Society Groups of Liberia alleged that their association has been constantly attacked and suppressed by the American Mining Association ( AMA) in Brapolu County and that the government of Liberia, particularly the Ministry of Lands and Mines was not paying attention to their pleads.
The head of the Gold and Diamond Brokers Association of Liberia, Esiaka B. Konneh, narrated that on February 26, this year the AMA and the local miners were involved in a land dispute in kumbo in Brapolu County at which time a security officer belonging to AMA allegedly shot a local miner in the neck.
Mr. Konneh said after the shooting incident, police officers in the county ordered the arrest of the local miners while the AMA men were left sky free.
"Why should a foreign company elect to use force in encroaching and expanding on other people's private properties while some big hands in high places back them up?" Mr. Konneh asked.
Mr. Konneh said his association was indeed surprised to learn that police officers in the area would connive with an American company to abuse the rights of their own citizens.
"We want to meet with the President and to inform her about the actual facts because we know very well that they are not telling her the actual story," the miners alleged.
"Our man was shot by the AMA security officer and was even placed behind bars without any investigation. How can you shoot someone and in turn jail him? Where in the world have you seen this form of arrest?" the miners' boss asked.
According to Mr. Konneh the AMA attempted encroaching on the private properties of the local miners in Kumbo but met with strong resistance from the local miners.
'When the tension subsided we held any emergency meeting with the Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy, the county superintendent, the lawmakers and other stakeholders in Kumbo and the minister promised to investigate the matter but since them nothing has been done to give our people fair justice but instead our people are still in jail," he added.
"It is our hope that the President will not only investigate this act of slavery but rather she should condemn it in the strongest terms," the group suggested.
The miners alleged that on numerous occasions the county officials and government officials from Monrovia who visit kumbo are hosted by the AMA Company during their stay in the area.
"How then in this world will our own state officials be on our side when they are fed, financed and hosted by AMA?" the group questioned.
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