Liberia: ArcelorMittal Liberia Intensifies Engagement on Grievance Management in Communities - FrontPageAfrica

The ArcelorMittal Liberia has scaled up outreach activities to help communities better understand and use AML’s official grievance management procedure. The recent engagement was held on March 30 in Lugbehyee, a community located south of Mount Yuelliton, where AML currently conducts active mining operations.

At a well-attended gathering, Community Relations Officer Hilton Gortor walked residents through AML’s Grievance Procedure Mechanism — a formal system that allows community members to raise concerns and have them addressed through official channels. Under this process, residents can obtain grievance forms from members of the Local Consultative Forum (LCF), complete them, and submit them to AML’s Community Relations office. The company commits to investigating and resolving submitted grievances within three months.

Gortor cautioned that staging protests, while attention-grabbing, typically causes delays and reflects poorly on both the community and AML. He urged residents to instead use the grievance system, which he said ensures issues are handled fairly, transparently, and on time.

The session also touched on employment opportunities. Young residents of Lugbehyee were encouraged to build technical skills, such as learning to operate mining equipment — to position themselves for jobs tied to AML’s long-term operations in Liberia.

On an environmental note, AML’s team warned against a damaging practice that has been repeatedly reported: individuals cutting the wire mesh on sediment dams built along local waterways. These structures are designed to prevent water contamination.

According to AML’s Environmental Department, some people have deliberately damaged the dams hoping to trigger environmental harm and qualify for resettlement compensation. AML warned that this behavior creates serious environmental risks that ultimately hurt farmers and the wider community, regardless of any payouts received.

Town Chief and Local Consultative Forum head Paye Lah praised AML for maintaining consistent community engagement and pledged residents’ cooperation in building a stronger working relationship with the company.