Top: Illicit miners are ravaging the Wonegizi Proposed Protected Area. The DayLight/Esau J. Farr
By Varney Kamara
GANTA, Nimba County – Illicit miners have encroached on the Wonegizi Proposed Protected Forest in Lofa County, according to a ranger and a community leader. Illegal miners have overrun this critical habitat, smuggling gold and diamonds into neighboring Guinea.
“We are just starting to tackle these issues. We are working hard to minimize them,” said Momo Ricks, an FDA ranger stationed there. “Illegal activities like these harm the environment.”
Ricks revealed this information at a recent community forestry meeting in Ganta, Nimba County, where regional leaders discussed sustainable ways for communities to benefit from forest resources.
Ricks’ comments were supported by Anthony Sumo, the chairman of the Community Land Development and Management Committee (CLDMC) of the Wonegizi Proposed Protected Forest. Sumo added that locals were making efforts to combat illegal mining.
“We are actively fighting against these activities, especially in areas close to the river,” Sumo said.
The 28,894-hectare forest is a part of the Wonegizi-Wologizi Ziama (WWZ) cross-border landscape, linking Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. It hosts endangered species like chimpanzees and pygmy hippopotamus. It is one of Liberia’s protected areas, covering over 1.14 million hectares of humid rainforests.
Despite legal safeguards, unlawful practices continue in the vast forest. Community resistance, weak law enforcement, and limited deterrents have worsened illegal activities.
“The community has requested more forest guards, better salaries, and stronger partnership support, but resources have yet to materialize,” said Sumo. “For conservation to succeed, we need consistent backing. Without it, we risk losing the forest and its benefits.
“We are focused on resisting illegal activities, like logging while promoting sustainable practices that support our community,” Sumo added.
The news of illegal mining supports a 2020 report by Fauna & Flora International, which found habitat loss from illegal mining, unregulated fishing and illegal wildlife hunting.
The story was a production of the Community of Forest and Environmental Journalists (CoFEJ).
