By Fiona Benson
Members of the 55th Legislature on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, commenced investigating status of Agreement between Liberia and the Republic of Guinea.
A Specialized Committee of the House of Representatives (HoR), constituted to investigate the status of the Implementation Agreement (IA) conducted a public hearing with officials from the ministries of Justice (MoJ) and Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
The hearing, which was focused on obtaining a comprehensive update on the Implementation Agreement signed on October 21, 2019, and ratified by the Liberian Legislature in May 2021, was chaired by Bong County District #7 Representatives Foday Fahnbulleh.
Fahnbulleh chairs the House’s Committee on Concession.
The Agreement outlines the framework for cross-border use of rail and port infrastructure; a key component of bilateral economic cooperation between the two sisterly countries.
During the hearing, Foreign Affairs Ministry declared “no knowledge of the Implementation Status of the Agreement.”
Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister for Administration, Gabriel H. Salee, denied the Ministry having information regarding the current status of the Agreement.
“We have no idea about the status of this Agreement. We did not participate at any level, and cannot therefore, provide information at this time,” Salee said.
Salee’s denial drew strong concern from lawmakers as Representative Ivar Jones, queried how the Ministry could claim no knowledge despite being the custodian of treaties, and the body through, which the ratified Agreement was transmitted.
Jones further questioned whether the Parliament of Guinea had also ratified the Agreement, noting that without domestication in both countries, a bilateral agreement cannot be binding.
He asked: “Did we share copies of our ratified Agreement with our Guinean counterparts? If it is not passed there, it cannot be binding, regardless of our ratification here.”
Deputy Justice Minister for Economic Affairs, Charles D.F. Karmo, provided a detailed background on the Agreement. Karmo, a lawyer by profession, said it centers on the evacuation of Guinean mining products through Liberia, consistent with long-standing regional mining cooperation.
He said, arrangements of similar nature date back to 1973, 1983, and October 25, 2013, making the current agreement a successor instrument.
“It is essentially a logistics operation. Liberia has excess rail capacity, and is obligated under the Agreement to allow the movement of Guinean products,” said Cllr. Karmo.
He added: “A 2021 communication reflects a consensus between both governments, which remains valid; should Guinea choose not to transport its products through Liberia, it will officially inform the Government of Liberia; companies such as SMFG and Ivanhoe will not bring their own security into Liberia; the agreement functions similarly to a transshipment arrangement; Ivanhoe is the logistical arm of SMFG, which has confirmed licenses issued by the Government of Guinea to carry out mining operations.
Karmo assured the Committee that adequate safeguards exist, including Liberia’s right to terminate the Agreement if the other party fails to meet its obligations.
Lawmakers Question Consensus
Several lawmakers raised further concerns:
For Representative Blue Benson, no significant progress can be realized without explicit consent from the Guinean government.
Representative Michael Thomas, then asked whether Liberia was invited to the ceremony marking the dedication of an 850-meter rail segment in Guinea.
MoFA responded that it had no knowledge of such invitation.
Thomas further raised concerns about the adequacy of background checks on Ivanhoe, cautioning against potential noncompliance.
Rep. Gleekia referenced Article 3.3 of the Agreement, which requires mutual awareness, and engagement between both governments.
He questioned whether Liberia had formally engaged its Guinean counterparts.
Other lawmakers, including Jeremiah Sokan, spoke of the need for Head-of-State affirmation in major bilateral protocols.
Sokan warned against entering critical economic agreements without systematic consent.
At the end of the extensive deliberations, the Committee adjourned the hearing to next week Tuesday to continue its inquiry and gather additional information.
Meanwhile, the House Specialized Committee, has reaffirmed commitment to ensure transparency, legality and mutual respect in all agreements entered between Liberia and its international partners.