Monrovia — Liberia's forestry sector is gripped in crisis as the Managing Director, C. Mike Doryen has been accused of illegal grants of concessions to foreign companies while disregarding the country's goal of sustainability in the forestry sector. It can be recalled the European Union and individual countries such as Norway have been supporting Liberia's forestry sector to ensure the responsible use of the country's forest resources in order to benefit project-affected communities and promote environmental sustainability.
In at the Climate Summit in New York, the Government of Norway entered into a partnership with the Liberian government, pledging 150 million US dollars in order to halt the destruction of Liberia's precious rainforest.
The deal was meant to end the grant of new concession agreements, support more scope for forest-dependent communities, and increase forest-protected areas. The deal was part of Norway's efforts to cut carbon emissions globally by preventing deforestation in order to reduce the impact of climate change.
As part of the deal, Liberia was to place a moratorium on new logging contracts and review logging concessions that are illegal or not performing. Additionally, the country was required to support communities wishing to manage their forests by providing practical training and research into new sustainable forest economies; conserve 30 percent or more of Liberia's forests as protected areas.
Additionally, the EU supports Liberia's forestry sector in order to tackle deforestation and pave the way for sustainability through the signing of a Volunteer Partnership Agreement (VPA) with Liberia. The VPA is meant to ensure that logs coming out of Liberia originate from legal sources.
Liberia is home to 43 percent of the remaining Upper Guinean Forest, which covers parts of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and La Cote d'Ivoire.
Liberia also adopted a comprehensive National Forestry Policy from 2006 to 2016, which was meant to maximize the benefits of the forestry sector as a means of meeting socioeconomic outcomes and objectives such as the expired Millennium Development Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Despite these efforts to support the sustainable management of Liberia's forest resources, FrontPageAfrica has learned that C. Mike Doryen, Managing Director of the country's Forestry Development Authority (FDA) has been contravening the agreements with the international system and granting logging contracts. Laurent Delahousse, EU Resident Ambassador to Liberia, and other international partners including the United States Embassy have reportedly frowned on the "illegal actions" of the Managing Director and are calling for President George Weah to dismiss him.
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According to our sources, an investigation was conducted by the Liberian Ministry of Justice and credible evidence was adduced to substantiate the allegations against Mr. Doryen.
In September, our sources revealed that the EU Ambassador in Monrovia met with President Weah before his departure to the United Nations General Assembly demanding the removal of Mr. Doryen but nothing has been done and the international partners are considering further actions including withdrawing support from Liberia's forestry sector and or using their muscle to put UN sanctions on Liberian logs. If that were to happen it would be a death knell for the country's image coming on the heels of targeted Global Magnitsky sanctions on three Liberian officials, former Minister Nathaniel McGill, former solicitor general Sayrenius Cephus and former NPA Managing Director Bill Twehway.
In other news, FrontPageAfrica has learned that an American investor, Mr. Chris Murphy is complaining that the FDA and others connected to the forestry sector are obstructing his logging concession. There are big names involved and FrontPageAfrica will bring you the story in a subsequent edition.
