The Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Mineral Resources has stepped in to help resolve a growing dispute between residents of Moriba Town and the management of Sierra Rutile Limited. The committee, led by Hon. Saa Emerson Lamina, met with both sides on Thursday, 13 November 2025, hoping to ease tensions and move the matter toward a fair resolution.

Hon. Lamina opened the meeting by reminding everyone of the committee’s responsibility to intervene when conflicts arise in the mining sector. He highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to reform the industry, including recent policy changes and a significant increase in surface rent designed to ensure communities benefit more from mining activities.

Committee member Hon. Fatmata Bockarie stressed that residents have long raised concerns about compensation for damaged crops, urging the company and community to settle the matter in a transparent and fair way.

Speaking on behalf of the community, Regent Chief Leslie Turker Thomas explained that the disagreement has been ongoing for more than a year. He claimed that Sierra Rutile had paid only part of the agreed 4 billion Leones in crop compensation, leaving 1.5 billion Leones unpaid. He also accused the company of withholding surface rent for one of its operational sites, intimidating residents through security personnel, and dismissing workers without giving them proper benefits.

In response, Sierra Rutile’s Chief Operating Officer, Kenelm Walta Hughes, insisted that the company had met its obligations up to December 2024, though he acknowledged a balance still outstanding. He said some payments were delayed because additional verification was needed and that he had held back approval until all claims could be properly investigated. According to the company, the total compensation owed stood at 4.168 million Leones, with 1.784 million Leones still unsettled.

After hearing from both sides, the Committee issued a set of directives to guide the next steps:

1. A five-member subcommittee will investigate the disputed grassland and review the company’s actual concession boundaries.

2. Sierra Rutile must submit coordinate data and a drone survey report by Wednesday, 19 November 2025.

3. The Committee will consult with the National Minerals Agency before making a final decision.

4. A crop assessor’s report must be presented at the next meeting.

5. Both sides must maintain peace and avoid confrontation until discussions resume on Wednesday.

The Committee assured all parties that it is committed to promoting fairness, accountability, and peaceful coexistence between mining companies and the communities that host them.