Bong Mines- Bong County–China Union has embarked on road rehabilitation in Fuamah, Bong County District #7, following significant pressure from the House of Representatives.

The company is currently reconditioning the road from Haindii to Kakata, in compliance with the mandate of the House’s Plenary.

A visit to Bong Mines over the weekend revealed numerous China Union earth-moving equipment working on the 17km road, which has been in disrepair for many years.

The current work on the road by the once-heralded $2.6 billion Chinese mining firm is part of a series of mandates given to the company in April after a Joint Legislative Investigative Committee found it in gross breach of its Mineral Development Agreement (MDA).

The committee report accused China Union of neglecting nearly all its responsibilities under the MDA, including failure to honor corporate social responsibilities and failure to pay benefits to host communities despite extracting millions of tons of ore over the years.

The report stated, “The delegation discovered that there is complete noncompliance by China Union in accordance with the MDA.”

The investigation also uncovered a wide range of additional breaches, such as subcontracting agreements with other Chinese companies without the knowledge and involvement of the Liberian government, the construction of a factory, and the importation of chemicals.

Acting on the investigative report, the House’s plenary mandated China Union to address several short- and long-term requirements.


Rep Foday Fahnbulleh with China Union Officials on an inspection tour in Bong Mines
These include the immediate commencement of all social security remittances, payments to the communities, regular renovation of all roads in the Goma and non-Goma deposit areas, and provision of the annual special benefit of $3.5 million.

Before the Plenary’s decision, China Union, in a communication to the joint committee on February 22, 2024, admitted lapses in executing its MDA and blamed unnamed challenges for neglecting its responsibilities to the communities.

Following the Plenary’s mandate, Fuamah-Sannoyea District Representative Foday Fahnbulleh said, “I have not rested, and I will ensure that after 15 years of treating our people like nothing, China Union will pay its fair share of commitment to our communities.”

He told our reporter that apart from the road rehabilitation work, China Union will be made to recondition the Bong Mines Hospital and