The Third Amendment to ArcelorMittal Liberia's Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) is now before the 55th Legislature, reopening a debate that goes to the heart of who controls Liberia's most strategic rail corridor and how far the government is willing to go to protect its own policies.
President Joseph N. Boakai formally transmitted the agreement to lawmakers on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. As both Houses officially commence their 4th session on January 12 for the first time this year, public hearings are expected in the coming weeks, and early signs suggest the process will be anything but routine.
At the center of renewed concern is the continued presence of the Rail System Operating Principles (RSOP) in the AML agreement. The RSOP sets out rules for how the Yekepa-Buchanan rail line would be operated, who gets access, and under what conditions. The problem, critics say, is not that rail rules exist, but why they are embedded in a private mining concession at all, when Liberia already has a legally established National Rail Authority specifically created to regulate rail operations in the public interest.
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Sources close to the negotiations say the version of the Third Amendment sent to the Legislature was signed by all key members of the Inter-Ministerial Concessions Committee and still includes the controversial RSOP--despite the fact that the document had earlier been rejected and sent back for renegotiation. That alone raises questions about whether the concerns flagged by the President and several ministers were meaningfully addressed or simply carried forward in revised form.
Lawmakers are also expected to revisit issues first raised by the Legislature in 2022, as well as more recent objections voiced by senators including Nyan Twayen and others. Central to those concerns is whether the new MDA truly aligns with Liberia's stated policy of a multi-user rail system, especially now that Ivanhoe Atlantic holds a ratified agreement granting it access to the same rail corridor.
Closely tied to that is the unresolved question of how the transition to an independent rail operator is handled under the new agreement. Liberia's rail reform agenda is built around moving control away from concessionaires and toward a neutral regulator under the National Rail Authority. Legislators will want clear answers on whether this AML amendment supports that transition or quietly undermines it by locking key rail rules inside a ratified contract that would be difficult to change later.
There are also broader consistency issues. Lawmakers are expected to examine whether the AML agreement conflicts with other current or potential concession agreements, and whether long-standing disputes--such as the Solway matter--are finally addressed in a clear and enforceable way, rather than deferred yet again.
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Beyond policy, the Legislature will also be looking at practical commitments. What community development contributions are promised under this MDA, and how will the Bureau of Concessions monitor compliance? What revenue projections are attached to the deal, how will they be tracked by the Liberia Revenue Authority, and how does the agreement deal with long-standing concerns about the dilution of the Government of Liberia's equity stake?
The need for careful scrutiny is heightened by another reality that cannot be ignored: ArcelorMittal Liberia maintains business relationships with several sitting lawmakers through trucking, services, and other contracts. While such arrangements are not automatically illegal, they raise real conflict-of-interest concerns in a matter involving a concession of national importance. In this context, public confidence depends on lawmakers showing--clearly and openly--that their decisions are guided by the national interest, not by private commercial ties.
As hearings approach, the spotlight will be firmly on the Legislature. The questions surrounding the AML agreement are fundamental ones about transparency, rail governance, and economic sovereignty. The Daily Observer will be watching closely, just as it has with the Ivanhoe Atlantic agreement, to ensure that this deal is examined thoroughly, deliberately, and without shortcuts.
What is at stake is not just one company's contract, but the credibility of Liberia's rail reform agenda and the public's trust in how national assets are managed.
