March 4, 2024
1 min read

Deadly mining protests in Liberia kill 1 and injure many

More than 40 dead in Liberia after leaking fuel tanker exploded as people tried to collect gas…reports Asian Lite News

Violent protests in Liberia over the presence of armed guards in mining areas in the country’s northwest killed one demonstrator and left several injured, a government official said.

Both protesters and police were armed when the clashes erupted on Thursday in the mining town of Kinjor, according to the minister of information and culture, Jeronlinmek Piah. He told reporters that the death is being investigated and that 18 protesters were arrested.

The protests followed a demand by the mining district’s lawmaker, Mohammed Dosii, who on Tuesday asked for an immediate withdrawal of armed guards in the community and at the gold mine operated by Bea Mountain Mining Company.

“Our people need free movement and the army needs to be in the barracks and not among civilians,” Dosii told lawmakers in the House of Representatives. Contracting armed officers prioritized the interests of foreign companies that deplete Liberia’s mineral wealth, over the safety of its citizens, he added.

More than 40 dead in Liberia after leaking fuel tanker exploded as people tried to collect gas

Piah, the information minister, blamed at a news conference on Thursday the discontent in the mining sector on the previous administration, led by former President George Weah who lost the election last November to Joseph Boakai.

Weah was elected in 2017 after promising to fight corruption, poverty and generate infrastructure development. It was the first democratic transfer of power in the mineral-rich West African nation since the end of the country’s back-to-back civil wars between 1989 and 2003 that killed some 250,000 people.

Boakai, 78, campaigned on a promise to rescue Liberia from what he called Weah’s failed leadership.

Liberia has seen many protests over its mining sector, rich in gold, iron ore and diamonds, mostly over poor working conditions and the perception that foreign workers are given more opportunities over Liberian nationals.

ALSO READ-Hopes float as US begins Gaza airdrops

Previous Story

‘Limiting Gaza protests in UK risks terror attacks’

Next Story

Rights abuses threaten South Sudan’s stability, warns UN

Latest from -Top News

Awami League Blasts Yunus ‘Propaganda’

Sheikh Hasina’s party slammed Ordinance No. 30, 2025, calling state recognition of the event an attempt to legitimise an “unconstitutional and unethical conspiracy….reports Asian Lite News Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League has strongly

Pakistan Snubs US at UN

Ahmad said that Pakistan, in collaboration with its all-weather friend, China and its ally, Russia, was circulating a draft resolution for the Council to adopt….reports Asian Lite News Despite the high-profile lunch

Violence against children hit unprecedented levels

In Somalia, it reported 2,568 violations against 1,992 children.In Nigeria, 2,436 grave violations were reported against 1,037 children The UN kept Israeli forces on its blacklist of countries that violate children’s rights

Japan Cancels U.S. Talks

The cancellation also coincides with Japan’s upcoming upper house elections on July 20, which are expected to test Ishiba’s fragile minority coalition Japan has cancelled a planned high-level security meeting with the

Modi calls Yoga a journey from ‘me’ to ‘we’

PM Modi showered praise on the Andhra Pradesh government for hosting this year’s national celebrations, commending Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan for their leadership. Prime Minister
Go toTop