MONROVIA – The Liberian Senate is turning its attention to environmental accountability as Nimba County Senator Nya Twayen presses for greater transparency surrounding the construction of ArcelorMittal’s new multi-million-dollar iron ore processing plant in Yekepa. In a formal letter dated June 11, 2025, Senator Twayen requested that the Senate plenary mandate the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide all relevant documentation, including the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report and environmental permit issued for the ongoing project.
Citing concerns about the health, safety, and long-term environmental consequences of the facility, Twayen urged his colleagues to ensure proper oversight. “The people of Nimba County, and indeed the Republic of Liberia, have a vested interest in understanding how such a major industrial operation will affect our environment, our health, and the sustainability of our natural resources,” the senator wrote. He specifically requested details on the scope of the EIA, the potential social and ecological impact, and the mitigation strategies put in place.
On Thursday, June 12, following plenary deliberations, Senator Twayen confirmed via a Facebook post that the Senate had endorsed his request. “We are grateful to the Plenary of the Liberian Senate for endorsing our letter mandating the EPA to submit copies of the environmental permit issued to AML and environmental impact studies done,” he said. “The safety and health of our people living in the concession area are imperative.” He added a stern warning: “We will use all necessary means at our disposal to make AML and all companies operating in Nimba accountable for the good of our people.”
Twayen’s call for transparency comes just days after he publicly rebuked ArcelorMittal at the June 5 commissioning of its US$1.4 billion concentrator plant in Yekepa. In what was supposed to be a landmark achievement for Liberia’s mining sector, the senator issued a sharp denunciation of the company’s legacy in Nimba, accusing it of exploiting the country while leaving local communities in poverty. “AML? You can dedicate another $1 billion plant, if the conditions laid down by the Nimba Caucus are not met, we will resist renewal,” he said bluntly.
He did not stop there. In a Facebook post dated June 6, Senator Twayen escalated his criticism, accusing ArcelorMittal of manipulating its finances through transfer pricing. “Transfer pricing is a technique used by multinationals to shift profits… It involves a multinational selling itself goods and services at an artificially high price,” he wrote, adding, “Yor lea dey people they trying,” suggesting AML has long outsmarted Liberia’s institutions.
Twayen emphasized that despite exporting vast quantities of iron ore and expanding its infrastructure, ArcelorMittal has failed to declare profits in over 20 years of operation in Liberia. This failure, he argues, deprives the country of dividends and undermines the mineral development agreement. “You failed at the current agreement and asking for a new one? No,” he declared.
The senator also painted a grim picture of conditions in Yekepa, describing the area around AML’s billion-dollar plant as “filthy” and the roads as “muddy.” These conditions, he noted, stand in stark contrast to the wealth extracted from the region.
Senator Twayen’s campaign reflects growing tension among communities surrounding ArcelorMittal’s operational areas in Nimba County. On Thursday, June 5, 2025, as President Boakai prepared to inaugurate the company’s long-awaited US$1.4 billion concentrator facility at Mount Tokadeh, angry citizens lined the roads chanting “AML Must Go,” expressing frustration over what they describe as nearly two decades of exploitation, broken promises, and visible underdevelopment in host communities. Meanwhile, at the House of Representatives, the Joint Committee on the Compliance Review of Concessions has formally invited ArcelorMittal Liberia’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Michiel Van Der Merwe, along with senior management, to appear before a public hearing scheduled for Monday, June 16, 2025. The hearing, set for 11:00 a.m. in the First Floor Conference Room, House Wing at the Capitol Building, marks a critical step by the Legislature to promote transparency and accountability in Liberia’s concession agreements.
