Liberia: HPX deal gets more complex

MONROVIA, Liberia — In a move that could prove both financially and politically costly, Liberia has yielded to pressure from High Power Exploration (HPX), agreeing to hire an independent operator for the Buchanan-Yekepa rail line.

But a fundamental question looms over the decision: What if Guinea refuses to allow its iron ore to transit through Liberia?

The agreement, pushed aggressively by HPX, rests on a fragile premise—that Guinea will permit its iron ore to be transported via…