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Deadly mining protests in Liberia kill 1 and injure many

A landslide is seen on a road after an earthquake in Benguet Province, the Philippines, July 27, 2022. (Abra local government unit/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)

More than 40 dead in Liberia after leaking fuel tanker exploded as people tried to collect gas…reports Asian Lite News

Violent protests in Liberia over the presence of armed guards in mining areas in the country’s northwest killed one demonstrator and left several injured, a government official said.

Both protesters and police were armed when the clashes erupted on Thursday in the mining town of Kinjor, according to the minister of information and culture, Jeronlinmek Piah. He told reporters that the death is being investigated and that 18 protesters were arrested.

The protests followed a demand by the mining district’s lawmaker, Mohammed Dosii, who on Tuesday asked for an immediate withdrawal of armed guards in the community and at the gold mine operated by Bea Mountain Mining Company.

“Our people need free movement and the army needs to be in the barracks and not among civilians,” Dosii told lawmakers in the House of Representatives. Contracting armed officers prioritized the interests of foreign companies that deplete Liberia’s mineral wealth, over the safety of its citizens, he added.

More than 40 dead in Liberia after leaking fuel tanker exploded as people tried to collect gas

Piah, the information minister, blamed at a news conference on Thursday the discontent in the mining sector on the previous administration, led by former President George Weah who lost the election last November to Joseph Boakai.

Weah was elected in 2017 after promising to fight corruption, poverty and generate infrastructure development. It was the first democratic transfer of power in the mineral-rich West African nation since the end of the country’s back-to-back civil wars between 1989 and 2003 that killed some 250,000 people.

Boakai, 78, campaigned on a promise to rescue Liberia from what he called Weah’s failed leadership.

Liberia has seen many protests over its mining sector, rich in gold, iron ore and diamonds, mostly over poor working conditions and the perception that foreign workers are given more opportunities over Liberian nationals.

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-Top News Africa News USA

US envoy decries neglect of citizens in rural Liberia

2019 U.S. Independence Day Celebration at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia

US envoy revealed that he found multiple county hospitals that had received no money from the 2022 budget…reports Asian Lite News

The US Ambassador to Liberia, Michael McCarthy, has accused lawmakers in the country of neglecting rural citizens by underfunding hospitals and service centers while “buttering their own bread” and “feathering their own nests.”

He revealed that he visited several rural counties and found multiple county hospitals that had received no money from the 2022 budget.

According to McCarthy, the lack of any alarm being raised indicates a syndicate involving players at the legislature, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

McCarthy criticised the elite in Monrovia, including representatives, senators, and ministers, for receiving annual duty-free imports and paying lower taxes than the average citizen.

The United States, a longstanding ally of Liberia, has committed over $40 million to build a laboratory in Liberia, which will require $3-4 million annually from the national government to operate.

Graft is endemic in Liberia, with Transparency International ranking it 142nd of 180 countries in its 2022 corruption perceptions index, AFP reported.

In December, several hundred Liberians demonstrated peacefully at the call of the opposition to protest government incompetence, as well as President George Weah’s alleged indifference to the plight of ordinary Liberians.

Weah will seek a second term in the presidential election on October 10, AFP reported.

Fighting corruption was one of his major campaign promises in the last election, but last year the United States accused three of his close allies of corruption and imposed sanctions on them.

In September Weah accepted their resignations, it reported.

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Africa News Dubai EXPO 2020

Liberia celebrates National Day Expo 2020

Liberia celebrates National Day Expo 2020(WAM)

Liberia celebrated its Expo 2020 Dubai National Day on Saturday with a visit by Dr. George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia…reports Asian Lite News

Dr Weah was welcomed by Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Commissioner General of Expo 2020 Dubai, and Reem Al Hashemy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai.

George Weah said: “The theme of our pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai is ‘Open and Business-Ready Liberia’ and embraces the idea that investment is an essential component of sustainable national economic growth and development. Liberia seeks to expand its potential in many areas, including the financial sector, in addition to sectors like tourism, agriculture and fisheries, which are yet to be exploited.

“I therefore use this opportunity to urge UAE investors to come to Liberia and tap into these traditional and virgin sectors, which will help us fill Liberia’s huge infrastructure deficit and foster economic development in Liberia.”

Sheikh Nahyan said: “Through its participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, Liberia demonstrates the significant development strides it has made in recent history, such as leading the way on women’s rights, as well as economic reform. The pavilion also promotes the vast opportunities Liberia offers across multiple industries, such as agriculture, tourism and infrastructure development.” “The UAE is proud to share continuously developing relations with Liberia, and we look forward to witnessing greater opportunities for collaboration between our two countries in the near future, for our mutual benefit and prosperity.”

Liberia celebrates National Day Expo 2020(WAM)

A cultural performance by the National Dance Ensemble of Liberia followed the speeches, featuring a drum concert and a traditional song about peace and unity, before Liberia’s Cultural Ambassador Juli Endee and well-known singer Janet Cole sang the Liberia Pavilion’s official Expo 2020 Dubai song.

The Liberia Pavilion, located in the Opportunity District, showcases the beauty of the country and the untapped potential in agriculture, tourism and infrastructure development. The pavilion, filled with beautiful woven fabric patterns, allows visitors to find out more about Liberia’s history and what the future looks like for the West African nation.

Liberia celebrates National Day Expo 2020(WAM)

National and Honour Days at Expo 2020 Dubai are moments to celebrate each of Expo’s 200-plus International Participants, shining a light on their culture and achievements and showcasing their pavilions and programming.

Expo 2020 Dubai will be held until March 31, 2022, and invites visitors from all over the world to create a new world together, in a six-month celebration of human creativity, innovation, progress and culture. (WAM)

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