Residents of several rural communities in Bong County are pressing for urgent intervention following an alleged chemical spill linked to mining company MNG Gold, an incident they say has upended livelihoods, contaminated water sources, and sent scores of villagers to seek medical care.
The growing outcry came into sharp focus over the weekend when Bong County Senator Prince Kermue Moye Sr. led a high-level delegation to Money Sweet Town in Electoral District Two--one of the communities at the center of the unfolding environmental crisis. The visit followed weeks of mounting public concern over what residents describe as the devastating environmental and health consequences of the spill.
The delegation included Bong County Superintendent Loleyah Hawa Norris and District Two Representative James M. Kolleh, who also toured Gotobah and Matthew towns, both reportedly affected by the incident.
According to community accounts, the incident involved the release of chemicals believed to be associated with gold mining operations in the area. Residents allege that runoff from the spill seeped into nearby streams and wetlands--primary sources of drinking water for surrounding villages--while also damaging farmlands and rubber plantations.
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In communities where subsistence farming is the backbone of survival, the impact has been severe. Crops have reportedly withered, water sources turned unsafe, and daily routines disrupted. Health workers at the Manowinsue Clinic say more than 140 residents have sought treatment for symptoms residents associate with exposure to contaminated water, including skin irritation, stomach ailments, and respiratory discomfort.
For villagers, the incident has rekindled long-standing anxieties about the environmental cost of extractive activities in Liberia's rural counties, where regulatory oversight is often perceived as weak and communities lack buffers against industrial accidents.
Communities Lay Out Clear Demands
At a town hall-style meeting in Money Sweet Town, residents formally presented their demands to the visiting officials. Charles Sweet, speaking on behalf of the affected communities, outlined a detailed list of requests aimed at addressing both immediate suffering and longer-term livelihood losses.
Among the key demands were the immediate installation of hand pumps in Money Sweet, Gotobah, and Matthew towns to provide access to safe drinking water; Compensation for families whose farms were destroyed or rendered unproductive by the chemical spill; Payment for rubber trees allegedly damaged by contamination; Employment opportunities for household heads whose incomes have been disrupted; and continued medical support for more than 140 patients currently receiving care.
"We are not asking for favours," one resident told the gathering. "We want our water, our farms, and our health restored."
The statement captured the mood of the meeting--firm but restrained, and rooted in a demand for accountability rather than charity.
In response to the grievances, Senator Moye announced the formation of a four-member committee tasked with formally engaging MNG Gold. The committee, chaired by Superintendent Norris, is expected to meet company officials on Monday, February 2, 2026, to present the communities' concerns and seek concrete commitments.
"Our responsibility is to the people," Senator Moye said, stressing that county authorities would pursue the matter regardless of any press releases or final investigative reports issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). "Whatever the findings, we will ensure these concerns are properly addressed."
The statement signals a determination by local leadership to assert county-level advocacy even as national regulatory processes unfold.
While acknowledging the gravity of the situation, both Representative Kolleh and Superintendent Norris urged residents to remain calm, warning that unrest or violence could undermine efforts to secure redress.
They emphasized that dialogue with the company was ongoing and that peaceful engagement offered the best chance of achieving tangible outcomes--particularly in securing compensation and environmental remediation.
The issue has also resonated beyond Bong County. The United Bong Citizens Association in the Americas, led by its president Caimon Joe Kollie, was acknowledged during the meeting for issuing a press release that helped draw wider attention to the crisis and prompt official engagement.
MNG Gold was represented at the meeting by its Public Relations Officer, Matthew Gbanken, and Liaison Officer, Matthew Whymah. Company officials listened as residents laid out their grievances, but no immediate public commitments were announced at the gathering.
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At the close of the meeting, Senator Moye and his delegation provided L$60,000 to the communities to help cover transportation costs associated with presenting their concerns directly to the company during the upcoming engagement.
Despite official assurances and the formation of a negotiating committee, many residents say they remain cautious. For communities that depend directly on land and water for survival, promises alone are not enough.
The true test, villagers say, will be whether talks with MNG Gold yield clean water, fair compensation, sustained medical care, and accountability--concrete actions that address both the immediate harm and the deeper vulnerabilities exposed by the spill.
Until then, residents of Money Sweet, Gotobah, and Matthew towns say they continue to live with the consequences of an incident that has shaken trust and renewed calls for stronger environmental safeguards in Liberia's mining sector.
