FREETOWN, Aug 5 — Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources said it did not revoke a large-scale mining licence from JM Mining Kenema (SL) Limited, clarifying that the company was never granted one in the first place.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the ministry and the National Minerals Agency (NMA) said JM Mining had received only a conditional offer of mineral rights, which lapsed after the company failed to meet payment deadlines set under the Mines and Minerals Development Act.
The offer, approved on 23 January 2025 on the recommendation of the Minerals Advisory Board, required JM Mining to accept in writing and pay statutory fees before a licence could be issued. Officials said the NMA later delayed a formal payment demand at the company’s request to give it more time to secure financing.
Orders to pay $1 million in licence fees and $100,000 in monitoring fees were issued on 24 July 2025, with a 30-day deadline. That deadline passed without payment, as did a self-requested extension to 31 December 2025. The company sought a fresh payment order on 29 January 2026, and the minister confirmed the following day that the conditional offer had lapsed and was rescinded — 372 days after the offer was approved.
The ministry said JM Mining had acknowledged its default in writing on three separate occasions between October 2025 and January 2026.
Officials said the decision followed statutory procedure and was not arbitrary or hostile to foreign investment, adding that waiving $1.1 million in fees for one company would undermine regulatory fairness for other operators.
“Sierra Leone’s mineral resources belong to the people of Sierra Leone and will be entrusted only to those who meet their obligations under the law,” the ministry said.
