Sapo National Park, one of Liberia’s protected areas, which has been overwhelmed for decades by illegal miners, is getting freedom through former Sinoe County Superintendent’s campaign message implementation.
The Sapo National Park, enacted into law 1983, is about 180,365 hectares, demarcating three counties with 74 surrounding towns and villages. The park, which once upon a time was a tourist site of attraction that contributed to the country’s economy and provided scholarships, has been controlled by influx of illegal miners in pursuit of greener pastures.
As a result, Sinoe County then Superintendent, Peter Wleh Nyensuah, in April 2025 canvassed from town to town and told citizens to encourage their children, husbands, wives, and so on, to stop the illegal mining by leaving the park.
The illegal miners are fugitives, unemployed youths, husbands, unmarried men, women from every county, and foreign nationals who have settled there and are supporting their families from illegal mining proceeds.
During the awareness campaign for illegal miners to exit the park, the then superintendent, along with his entourage, first visited Chewlue Town, Wacaba District, and the headquarters of the park, which is at Jalay Town, and extended the trip to Chabioh Town, Korjahyee, Pyne Town, Voogbadee, Pellokon City, Jedepo Nyennwliken, Juazon Statutory District, and so on.
The move was mandated by President Joseph N. Boakai, who frowned on the mismanagement of the park and threatened robust action to dislodge the illegal inhabitants.
The gravity of the offense at the park depreciated the value of its attraction to tourists and so on. Therefore, the then superintendent sternly admonished those involved to desist or they would face the wrath of the law.
Meanwhile, he along with his then office staffers, the county’s attorney, police commander, prison commander, Liberia Immigration Service commander, Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency commander, head of Ministry of Public Work, National Security Agency head, journalists, and so on, sojourned for a six-day tour holistically warning citizens and foreigners, from district to district and town to town, to immediately leave the park.
“The destruction of the park has reached the President because your children are in the park cutting down trees and illegally mining,” then Superintendent Nyensuah sounded a stern caveat to the people of Sinoe County and others at that time. “I have come to talk to you so that you can call your children back from the park.”
Since his patriotic campaign launched for the Sapo National Park’s liberty restoration in April, the Government of Liberia (GOL) has begun dislodging the illegal miners.
According to report, over 200 officers of the Joint Security have begun dislodging over 2,000 illegal miners with “Operation To Restore Hope IV”. The operation is a crackdown on transnational crimes and regional insecurity.
According to report, the operation began by the way of Korjahyee, which has “Camp America” and a few others.
According to sources, some members of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) have established camps at entrances to the park from the Grand Gedeh County side, River Gee County, and Sinoe County.
Structures constructed by the ruffians were destroyed by the officers, and women and children have been the first to leave.
According to Nyensuah, the Joint Security will stay in the park for six months, and are now recruiting and training park rangers.
Mainly, the Rangers will take over from the Joint Security, while the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and partners provide livelihoods sustainability for surrounding villages and towns.
However, there are many entrances to the park, but these areas are the main ones: Korjahyee, 6-hour walk to “America” area of the park; Doeduaken, 7-hour walk to “Iraq”, “Egypt”, “New Creation” and “New Liberia” communities of the park. Kwateken, 4-hour walk to “Afghanistan”; Nyennwliken, 9-hour walk to “Afghanistan” and “Beirut”. These are names of communities established by illegal miners.
However, the officers would have to exert strenuous effort to dislodge all the illegal miners, as some of the camps are yet to be invaded by them.