Liberia: “LNP Should Not Be Player and Referee in Kinjor Matter”
Rev. Dr. Samuel Reeves, who doubles as LCC President and Acting President of IRCL
— Council of Churches, Inter-Religious Council want Boakai constitute an independent committee to investigate saga
The Liberia Council of Churches (LCC), and the Inter-religious Council of Liberia (IRCL) have called on President Joseph Nyumah Boakai to constitute an independent committee to probe the recent protest incident in Bea Mountain in Grand Cape Mount County that reportedly led to the deaths of two people.
The two religious institutions have also mandated President Boakai to ensure inquiry into other convocations to prevent similar occurrences.
“The LCC and IRCL believe that such an Independent Body will be objective and ensure transparency in its findings and recommendations, aimed at seeking lasting solutions to the concerns of workers at the Concession Companies,” a statement released over the weekend said. “We also believe that the Independent Committee, when set up, would dig deeper to unearth the contending concerns of the people in the Concession areas.”
In a tragic turn of events, a protest erupted into violence on February 29 at the Bea Mountain Mining Company concession area in Grand Cape Mount County, resulting in the loss of two lives and leaving several others wounded.
Tensions flared between officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) and aggrieved citizens, highlighting the simmering discontent surrounding mining operations in the area.
The protest, which initially began as a peaceful demonstration by residents voicing grievances against the operations of the mining company, quickly escalated into a confrontation between protesters and armed law enforcement personnel. Reports suggest that clashes erupted as police attempted to disperse the crowd, leading to a chaotic and violent exchange.
Amidst the chaos, two individuals lost their lives, succumbing to injuries sustained during the clashes. Additionally, several others suffered varying degrees of injuries, further exacerbating the already tense situation.
When the Kinjor incident is properly investigated, the religious leaders believe, would serve as a precedent under the new administration that would further help to avoid future disturbances at other Concessions in the Country.
The statement, under the signature of Rev. Dr. Samuel B. Reeves, LCC PRESIDENT, also indicated that the police, as a key participant in the protest, should not be the ones to investigate the very incident they are conflicted in.
“Therefore, the Council and IRCI believe the police participation would undermine the true essence of transparency and fair play,” Reeves, who is also IRCL ACTING PRESIDENT, and SENIOR PASTOR at Providence Baptist Church, said. “The LCC & IRCL are on notice that the very police have been accused of firing live bullets on the Protesters; it is for this and other reasons that we believe the police should not be player and referee in this matter.”
Reeves noted that without the police involvement in the investigation, the credibility of the Committee would be enhanced.
Meanwhile, the incident in Kinjor has since prompted questions about the causes of the violence. However, the Boakai administration accused former President George Weah and his Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government of sowing seeds of discord in the area.
Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah said the protests stemmed from the presence of armed officers of the Armed Forces of Liberia in the Bea Mountain Mining Company (BMMC) concession area.
Piah noted that the decision of the Weah administration to deploy armed soldiers to protect the company’s facilities, equipment, and personnel has since caused anger among residents, thereby building up tension that erupted into violence last week.
However, the religious leaders, in their statement over the weekend, expressed a belief that the independent probe should not be limited to what transpired on the day of the protest, but also what might have led to the agitations in the area — which captures the operations of the company in the area. “As part of the Terms of Reference of the Independent Committee should be to investigate the operations of Bea Mountain following reports and allegations that they have reneged on several provisions of their Concession Agreement signed over a decade ago,” the LCL president said in the statement. “We want citizens of Grand Cape Mount County to remain calm as the government exercises all efforts to bring the situation under control.”