Steel giant ArcelorMittal has participated in land grabs and likely contaminated water in Liberia as it mined iron ore deposits in the country’s north, a report by French investigative outlet Disclose said Tuesday.
Earlier this year Liberian government mediators counted 694 farmers who were waiting to be compensated for destruction or lack of access to their land, while another 160 farmers on the company’s concession had not been taken into account by authorities, the publication said. Disclose spoke to seven people who said their land had been grabbed, destroyed, blocked or degraded by ArcelorMittal between August 2024 and September 2025. Affected farmers are demanding $4 million, or roughly $5,400 per person, Disclose said.
The company said that all “claims for compensation for use of privately owned land” had been addressed. ArcelorMittal told Konkah he would not be compensated for the destroyed crops, according to Disclose. Heavy metals “were found in rivers, wells and pumps used by the residents of five villages located in the mining concession”, the publication said, citing an independent laboratory report from January 2025 commissioned by the Liberian government. ArcelorMittal said however that “the presence of heavy metals in water samples does not, on its own, demonstrate a direct link to AML’s operations”.
