By Kruah Thompson
MONROVIA, September 8, 2026 — Foreign nationals caught operating illegal mining sites in Liberia could face prosecution and possible deportation as President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s anti-illegal mining task force begins nationwide enforcement operations.
The task force says it will deploy teams across the country to shut down unauthorized mining sites, seize equipment and investigate individuals and companies suspected of violating Liberia’s mining and environmental laws.
Task force Chairman Abraham Kromah announced the planned operations during the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing in Monrovia, saying foreign nationals are among those illegally exploiting Liberia’s mineral resources.
Kromah said the task force will work with county authorities to identify illegal mining operations and enforce the country’s mining and environmental regulations.
He warned that foreign nationals found operating illegally would face prosecution and, where applicable, deportation, while equipment being used in illegal operations could be seized and unauthorized sites shut down.
The task force comprises representatives of Liberia’s security agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
According to Kromah, the country has been divided into six operational zones to strengthen surveillance, coordination and enforcement.
Initial deployments will target Grand Kru, Sinoe and Grand Gedeh counties before operations expand to western Liberia and other parts of the country.
Kromah said the task force has received logistical support, including specialized drones and surveillance equipment, to identify illegal mining activities, including operations in remote forest areas.
He also claimed that an estimated US$1.6 billion worth of gold, diamonds and other mineral resources has left Liberia without being properly accounted for.
“There are many resources that amount to basically US$1.6 billion of our resources, including diamond and gold, that have left the country without being accounted for,” Kromah said.
He did not provide details on how the US$1.6 billion estimate was calculated or the period covered by the figure.
Kromah said illegal mining has deprived the country of benefits from its natural resources and vowed that the task force would take a more aggressive approach to enforcement.
“We are too rich for people to be this poor,” he said, arguing that Liberia’s mineral resources have been exploited for years without adequate benefits reaching the population.
“So we are going all out to make sure this is dealt with,” Kromah added.
He said the task force reports directly to the Office of the President, a structure he believes will allow it to operate without interference.
“I don’t report to nobody but the President’s Office. That’s the advantage we have. Nobody will tell me, ‘No, don’t do that,’” Kromah said.
The task force will also review mining arrangements involving communities, including memoranda of understanding between communities and companies.
Kromah warned that the existence of a community agreement would not shield mining operators from enforcement if their activities violate national mining or environmental laws.
“Anybody who established an MOU and anybody who reviews those MOUs, if they are in violation of our mining laws, they are in violation of our environmental laws, we will go after them,” he said.
According to Kromah, the task force will investigate suspected violations and pursue cases against individuals and companies found operating outside the law.
He said the new arrangement is intended to strengthen the government’s existing response to illegal mining by combining regulatory, security and enforcement functions.
Kromah also said the task force has prosecutorial authority, which he described as a key difference between its operations and previous anti-illegal mining interventions.
“That’s the difference between our own situation,” he said. “What we do have here now is prosecution power.”
The task force is expected to begin county-level operations as part of the government’s broader effort to curb illegal mining, enforce environmental regulations and increase state control over the extraction of Liberia’s mineral resources.
Kromah said the operation would build on existing efforts by the Ministry of Mines and Energy but adopt what he described as a more proactive enforcement strategy.
“What we are doing now is moving beyond the traditional approach of the Ministry of Mines and Energy to a more progressive and proactive strategy that will help us better manage and protect our natural resources,” he said.
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