MONROVIA – Allegations that Bea Mountain Mining Corporation is secretly operating a private airstrip in its concession area in Grand Cape Mount County have triggered public alarm and renewed concerns about mineral smuggling in Liberia.
The claims surfaced on Saturday, September 20, 2025, when journalist Charles B. Yates alleged on his Facebook page that the company was using a hidden airstrip in the jungle to airlift gold and other minerals without government supervision. According to Yates, sources in the area suggested that Bea Mountain’s activities may go beyond gold, involving diamonds and “other strange minerals” allegedly moved out of the country under cover of night.
“Are you aware that Bea Mountain has a private airstrip in the middle of the jungle in Grand Cape Mount County that they use to airlift gold and other minerals without any government representative on the ground to monitor their shipment?” Yates wrote. He added that a source claimed the company’s planes “can come and pick up the consignment and leave, with no one from the government here to check on what they are carrying.”
The allegations prompted a swift reaction from Anderson D. Miamen, Executive Director of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL). Miamen warned that if the reports are accurate, they raise urgent questions about accountability and oversight in Liberia’s mining sector.
“If this information shared by Journalist Charles B. Yates is true that a gold mining company (Bea Mountain) is operating its own private mini-airport in its concession area in Grand Cape Mount County, then the government of Liberia needs to swiftly act, including informing the public about the facts and circumstances surrounding the matter,” Miamen wrote.
He stressed the need for an “independent and detailed investigation” involving all relevant government agencies. Liberia, he argued, already faces significant challenges in ensuring transparency in resource extraction, and such developments only heighten concerns about potential exploitation.
“Already, we have major accountability and impact issues regarding how our minerals and other resources are extracted,” Miamen cautioned. “This development further compounds the situation and makes our resources more vulnerable to these businesses and their collaborators in government and other spheres of society.”
History of Controversies
Bea Mountain Mining Corporation, Liberia’s largest gold producer, has long been mired in controversy since acquiring rights to operate in Grand Cape Mount. In 2013, the company was accused by local residents of displacing communities without fair compensation. Protests have erupted over the years, with citizens demanding better employment opportunities, fair wages, and improved living conditions.
In February 2023, violent clashes broke out between security forces and residents in Kinjor, Grand Cape Mount, after communities accused Bea Mountain of polluting water sources and failing to fulfill corporate social responsibility commitments. Human rights groups and civil society organizations criticized both the company and the Liberian government for neglecting the welfare of affected communities.
Critics argue that the allegations of a secret airstrip, if proven true, would fit into a pattern of questionable practices by the company, where transparency and government oversight have consistently been weak.
As of press time, neither Bea Mountain Mining Corporation nor the Liberian government has issued a statement addressing the latest allegations.
