Liberia's new mines minister replaces the previous one amid US investment talks

Liberia's office of President Joseph Boakai has announced that it has replaced the mining minister and top regulator in the country, as the West African nation, which is a producer of iron ore, pursues discussions with Washington about investments in its vital minerals sector.

R. Matenokay Tingban was the deputy mining minister for former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Wilmot J.M. was the former minister. Boakai's Office said in a Monday statement that Paye is part of a move to improve governance and efficiencies. In a second statement released on Tuesday, a new state mining regulator was named. Liberia is seeking foreign investment in its mining industry. It has recently discovered deposits of minerals such as lithium, manganese, cobalt and rare earths. These are vital minerals for electric vehicles and renewable energies. The State Department reported that U.S. Secretary Marco Rubio and Liberian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sara Beysolow Nyanti met in Washington, D.C. on October 17, to discuss a possible expansion of U.S. involvement in mining.

Tingban's ministry will be central to Liberia’s plans to boost investors' confidence, as part of Boakai’s “ARREST Agenda”, a five-year strategy for national development. Boakai appointed new deputy ministers at the Mines and Education Ministries. Some appointments need Senate approval. ArcelorMittal operates the largest mine in Liberia, and its rail network. Gold has become an important foreign exchange earner. Ivanhoe (Avesoro), Bea Mountain, MNG Gold, and Hummingbird Resources are also players in the mineral sector. (Reporting and writing by Alphonso Toweh, Maxwell Akalaare Adombila, Editing by Robbie Corey Boulet and Topra Chopra).

(source: Reuters)