Since 1930s when Sierra Leone started to mine diamonds and other minerals, she is still undeveloped.             Whilst Botswana, South Africa, Africa largest mining deposits, have picked up, Sierra Leone still craws as a poorest country in the world.

Experts in development say most countries mining policies are bad thus their citizens remain poor. Sierra Leone suffered ‘ blood diamond’ as minerals were looted by rebels to be sold in overseas during the country’s Civil War.

Currently, the country enjoys peace and tranquility but foreign direct investment is low.  There was a boom in the mining sector between 2012 and 2014.  But the sales of iron ore and Sierra Leone’s economic growth failed to reflect on ordinary Sierra Leoneans.

The main investors, Africa Minerals and London Mining closed operations as international price on iron ore fell.

But most discouragingly, mining deals with investors are capitalist-oriented as they favour investors more than the state. A latest ban on mining operations by President Julius Maada Bio in 2018  badly frustrated the new investors with some taking the government to court.

The mines minister Timothy Kabba is pushing hard for ARISE IIP (ARISE  Integrated Industrial Platforms) to start up mining in Pepel port in Port Loko district. But the company’s credibility is questioned by the media.

Because a look into the activities  of ARISE IIP in some West Africa countries points to a dismay by those  citizens in Gabon and Benin. ARISE IIP failed to create much impact on the lives of Gabonese and Beninese people despite it is claiming otherwise.   Like in Zambia and DRC where Swiss companies Glencore and Trafigura were exporting copper but the proceeds from the mines couldn’t up Zambians and Congolese from poverty, Sierra Leoneans fear the same.

Since minister Timothy took ARISE’s agreement to Parliament, CSOs ( Civil Society Organizations ) have failed to look into the deal signed by government whether the agreement will benefit Sierra Leoneans. When bad deals are signed, investors stand to make more profits than even the government. For instance, about 40-50% of Zambian copper was exported to Switzerland every year between 2006 and 2017, according to UN Comtrade report. Switzerland, at the time, generated 3.7% of its GDP from copper commodity trading, a higher share than its banking and tourism sector, a journal report by Africa Modern Studies of June 2019 indicates.

But where is Gambia and Congo today?  And where are Africa Minerals and London Mining?  Will ARISE IIP bring lasting impact on Sierra Leoneans?   Mining in Zambia, report by Modern African Studies, says creates a steady stream of income for companies registered in Switzerland, while much of the economic, political and “environmental costs” of mining are borne by Zambians. In Sierra Leone, unlike Zambia situation where CSOs and NGOs were playing a “surveillance” role on Swiss companies, mining companies in Sierra Leone enjoy somewhat safe haven.

As sustainable questions of mining investment fraught the sector, governments have been ill-transparent to the people of Sierra Leone.