By Ernest Kpehe Moibah, Jr/Bomi County
A new logging agreement in Bondi-Mandingo Community Forest in Gbarpolu County, Western Liberia, has sparked widespread concerns among community members. For local residents, the deal serves as a painful reminder of unmet promises from a previous logging contract.
In 2018, the Bondi-Mandingo Community Forest entered a five-year commercial logging agreement with Indo Africa Plantation Liberia Limited. The company promised to build roads, construct clinics, provide scholarships, create jobs, and establish public facilities. However, records reviewed by the Rural Reporters News Network reveal that while the company harvested roughly 7,183 logs, hundreds were allegedly abandoned in the forest. Community leaders claim that more than US$400,000 in land rental fees, scholarships, healthcare support, and harvesting obligations remain unpaid.
This long-standing dispute triggered youth protests in 2021 and prompted appeals for intervention from the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), which, among others, eventually led to the cancellation of the Indo Africa agreement.
The new contract outlines several community benefits, including, priority employment for local residents, annual land rental payments of approximately US$25,590, US$10,000 in annual educational scholarships and US$7,000 in annual healthcare support Despite these terms, communities like Gbarquoista and Nyanquoi are responding with caution rather than confidence. Residents say they fear yet another cycle of broken promises.
Local resident Peter S. Y. Dianor urged that previously harvested logs be removed and sold before any new trees are cut. Padmore Sumo Domah called for a more equitable distribution of logging activities across the six affected communities. For traditional midwife Kluba Kollie, the abandoned timber left behind by the previous company remains a painful visual reminder of unmet needs.
Youth Chairman Morris K. Talawalay directly linked the forestry dispute to the region persistent underdevelopment, citing poor roads, unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, weak telecommunications, and a lack of economic opportunities.
Compounding these frustrations is a distinct gap in local communication. In Nyanquoi village, Sub-Chief Wilton Harris stated that residents were completely unaware of the new memorandum of understanding, while village elder Timothy Crawford pointed to the ongoing crisis of crumbling roads and a severe shortage of schools and healthcare.
Poor road access remains the most visible grievance in the area. Residents note that while their communities host timber resources worth millions of dollars, the lack of passable roads leaves them isolated, especially during the rainy season. This infrastructure failure severely hampers local commerce, farming, schooling, and emergency healthcare responses.
Community Forest Management Body Chairman Dinakina S. Gbarnto defended the new contract, arguing that the community desperately needed a replacement investor after the Indo Africa contract fell through. Gbarnto also revealed that potential future mining concessions influenced the timeline. He argued that the new forestry agreement allows communities to benefit from their timber resources before large-scale mining operations potentially reshape the landscape.
Addressing communication complaints, Gbarnto asserted that representatives from all six communities participated in multiple meetings. He acknowledged suggestions that further community-level consultations are still needed.
The controversy in Bondi-Mandingo exposes systemic challenges within Liberia’s natural resource sector: weak communication, limited corporate accountability, failing infrastructure, environmental anxieties, and deep questions surrounding meaningful community participation.
The 37,222-hectare forest, managed under Liberia’s Community Rights Law of 2009, is shared by six distinct communities. It remains a major asset with the potential to transform the region. However, the true test of this new arrangement will extend far beyond the volume of timber harvested. Residents are demanding tan gible proof that their natural resources will finally translate into better roads, functioning schools, clean water, and lasting economic opportunities before the trees are gone for good.