—-As potential Investors confidence deems
IPNEWS: Concerns continue to mount regarding the Government of Liberia’s closed-door alleged signing ceremony with HPX-Ivanhoe, on a Sunday- nonworking day as media access was denied.
On Sunday, July 6, 2025, the Government of Liberia and Ivanhoe Liberia, a subsidiary of the American majority-owned High Power Exploration (HPX), allegedly signed a closed-door concession agreement even though details of the signing was never made public.
Ivanhoe Liberia specializes in mining infrastructure and had been battling for control of the “Liberty Corridor,” a cross-border initiative aimed at exporting iron ore from Guinea through Liberia.
But what remains concerning is, unlike ArcelorMittal Liberia which had made good public its intentions for Liberia’s investment climate by proposing a mega 3 billion additional investment following the rectification of its Mineral Development Agreement which still leakers in the corridor of government.
Under its expansion plans, ArcelorMittal is involving a $1.8 billion investment to increase iron ore production and improve infrastructure. The project will quadruple production from 5 million to 20 million tonnes annually, and also includes upgrades to railway and port facilities. Furthermore, ArcelorMittal is studying plans to expand capacity to 30 million tonnes per year and potentially produce DRI-grade concentrate which would accelerate Liberia’s revenue income.
At Sunday’s secret Meeting, Local media were initially invited to cover the signing ceremony previously scheduled for Saturday, July 5, 2025. However, they were later informed that the event had been postponed.
On Sunday, July 6, another invitation was sent out, but after journalists waited for hours, they were informed that access had been denied to all media outlets due to protocol changes reportedly initiated by the Ministers of Justice, Finance, and Mines & Energy.
The decision to bar the media from such a significant agreement—especially on a Sunday—raises concerns about transparency and public accountability.
This closed-door signing occurs amid ongoing tensions between HPX and ArcelorMittal over control of Liberia’s rail and port infrastructure, a critical issue in the broader debate about iron ore exports.
During the previous administration of George Weah, HPX provided the government with an initial $30 million as part of a deal, but no formal agreement was signed. Political Experts tell IPNEWS this refusal to signed an agreement with HPX allegedly led to the sanctioning of former Finance and Development Minister Samuel Tweah and former Minister of State, now Margibi Senator Natheniel McGill.
The secret signing Sunday, July 7, 2025, takes place as President Boakai prepares to leave Liberia this week to attend a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. The meeting is expected to focus on commercial diplomacy, which is a primary goal of the current U.S. administration.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy, the Liberian government agency responsible for mining, has yet to comment on this latest secret mineral signing. PART II Comes shortly…stay tone……
