IPNEWS: The Liberian Senate will today launch a high-stakes probe into the controversial concession granted to Ivanhoe Atlantic, a company once marketed as the mastermind of a sweeping US$5 billion “Liberty Corridor” but now repositioning itself merely as a logistics and transportation firm seeking access to Liberia’s Yekepa–Buchanan railway.
The abrupt shift in Ivanhoe’s identity—from a major multi-sector infrastructure developer to a transport operator—has intensified scrutiny surrounding the proposed Cross-Border Access Agreement (CAA), a deal that senators say appears plagued by procedural violations, missing documents, questionable diplomatic alignment with Guinea, and a lack of transparency across financing, environmental compliance, and local participation.
Senate Flags Major Irregularities in Process
At the heart of the Senate’s concerns is the 2019 Liberia–Guinea Implementation Agreement, the governing framework that outlines all procedures for Guinean mining companies seeking to use Liberia’s rail and port infrastructure.
Under this agreement, cross-border access cannot be granted without a strict sequence:
Guinea must issue a Request for Eligibility.
Liberia must receive and vet a Request for Access.
The joint Monitoring Committee must review the request.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) must formally approve it.
A Technical Secretariat must develop a standardized Access Agreement template.
But lawmakers say there is no evidence that any of these mandatory steps were followed before the Ivanhoe CAA emerged.
No minutes from the Monitoring Committee exist.
No IMC deliberation records have been released.
No documentation shows that Guinea designated Ivanhoe Atlantic’s project as an “Approved Infrastructure Project,” a legal requirement under Article 5.1.
Instead, the Senate believes the agreement may have been negotiated bilaterally between the Liberian government and Ivanhoe, bypassing the very oversight system intended to ensure transparency, fairness, and bi-national coordination.
From Mega Corridor to Mere Transporter—The Identity Question
Ivanhoe Atlantic entered Liberia’s public conversation with bold claims of constructing a massive, multi-billion-dollar “Liberty Corridor” connecting Guinea, Liberia, and the broader sub-region through rail, roads, power facilities, and ports.
But the company’s recent presentations portray a drastically scaled-down ambition: a transportation company seeking to move ore from Guinea to the Port of Buchanan using Liberia’s existing rail line.
This shift has raised red flags.
“If a company cannot even clearly define what it is, how do we trust it with our most strategic national infrastructure?” one Senate aide noted ahead of today’s hearing.
Senate Demands Full Transparency Before Any Ratification
Ahead of the hearing, the Senate issued a long list of non-negotiable documents the Executive must submit. These include:
A comprehensive feasibility study
A board-approved implementation plan
Full disclosure of all financing sources
Copies of all financial agreements
Evidence of Liberian participation in planning and execution
Approved environmental impact assessments
Proof of community consultations and benefit-sharing mechanisms
A certified letter from the Government of Guinea granting approval or issuing a “no objection”
The Senate says these are essential to understand what Liberia is entering into—and whether the country stands to benefit or be short-changed.
Concerns Over Transparency, Community Impact, and National Security
Beyond legal and procedural lapses, senators are questioning the broader implications of the Ivanhoe deal.
Some are concerned about:
Who actually owns and finances Ivanhoe Atlantic
Whether the company has the technical capacity to operate a major cross-border logistics system
The risk of ceding strategic national infrastructure to an under-verified private entity
The absence of clear community benefits for affected towns in Nimba, Bong, and Grand Bassa
The possibility of environmental damage without proper assessments
How Liberia will ensure rail safety and national security along the corridor
A senior senator described the situation as “a dangerous mixture of opacity and haste.”
Hearing Expected to Be Confrontational
When government officials take their seats at the Capitol today, they are expected to face one of the toughest concession interrogations in years. The Senate has already warned that failure to provide the required documents could lead to suspension of all legislative consideration of the Ivanhoe agreement.
“The timely submission of this documentary evidence is a non-negotiable condition,” the Committee stated in a November 12 communication.
Deal Hanging by a Thread
What began as a grand regional infrastructure vision has narrowed into a heavily contested access agreement, raising more questions than answers. With senators openly skeptical and demanding full accountability, the Ivanhoe concession now stands at a critical crossroads.
Today’s hearing will determine whether Ivanhoe Atlantic can justify its intentions—or whether the controversial deal collapses under the weight of its unanswered questions.
