Dougbo Community, Grand Kru County-Tuesday, September 22, 2025-Grand Kru County Development Officer Joe Sekpeh has voiced profound concern over the surge of unregulated mining activities in the Dougbo Community.
The Dougbo Community, located along the 75-kilometer road from Barclayville to Pleebo, is experiencing a troubling increase in unregulated mining activities in its vicinity.
He indicated that these uncontrolled mining operations extend throughout Grand Kru County and beyond, posing significant challenges in managing illegal mining across the country.
Sekpeh emphasized that the county is lacking sufficient security personnel to effectively monitor and regulate these activities, which he attributes to the unauthorized entrance of mining operators into the region.
The county development official lamented that mining activities in the Dougbo Community have escalated, with a second pit emerging in the heart of the community that demands immediate attention from authorities.
He called for decisive action against those violating regulations.
Highlighting the serious repercussions of such illicit mining, Sekpeh pointed out that these activities jeopardize not only the environment but also the well-being of local communities, urged relevant authorities to take swift measures to address the situation.
Joe Sekpeh issued a stern warning to individuals involved in illegal mining within Grand Kru County, cautioning them that they risk arrest if they continue their activities.
He further noted that rampant illegal mining along the 75-kilometer corridor connecting Pleebo to Barclayville has reached alarming levels.
According to him, poor practices and a lack of oversight are causing significant environmental damage, including soil erosion and contamination of water sources.
The CDO highlighted the detrimental effects that such activities pose not only to the environment but also to the local communities, urging for immediate action to address the situation.
He reported that the rampant illegal mining along the 75km corridor connecting Pleebo to Barclayville has escalated to alarming levels, often characterized by poor practices and lack of oversight, are causing significant ecological damage, including soil erosion, deforestation, and contamination of water sources.
These practices, he warned, threaten the livelihoods of residents who rely on the land for agriculture and other economic activities.
“The community of Dougbo and its surroundings are witnessing the dire consequences of unregulated mining operations,” said Mr. Sekpeh. “Not only are we losing our precious natural resources, but we are also compromising the health and safety of our people. We cannot stand by and allow this to continue.”
He urged the government, along with law enforcement agencies, to step in and enforce mining regulations more rigorously. “We need a united front against these illegal operations. Law enforcement should be on the ground to monitor and stop these activities effectively,” he stated.
The recent uptick in mining operations in the Dougbo Community poses threats to the more than 200 families residing in the Dougbo Community.
While the authorities in Grand Kru County along with local chiefs, elders, women, and youth of the Dougbo Community remain silent, several near-misses involving children and livestock that strayed too close to the deep, unguarded mining pits.
Expressing frustration over the current state of mining activities in the Dougbo Community, the Grand Kru County Development Officer warned that without prompt intervention, the community faces an uncertain future, threatened by the very activities that should be promoting development and prosperity.
