Liberia FDA: Responds to Marlay Town Land Dispute Over Burkinabè Encroachment

• The Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and Liberia National Police (LNP) deployed personnel to Marlay Town, Nimba County, following complaints of land encroachment.
• Residents allege Burkinabè nationals have encroached on community forestland, restricted farm access, and contributed to an unresolved boundary dispute.
• Officials view the situation as a potential national security concern, reflecting broader pressures on Liberia's forests from agricultural expansion and migration.
• The dispute centers on a poorly maintained 1952 boundary between community land and a forest reserve, which the community seeks to re-demarcate.
• The FDA plans to use drone technology for boundary re-demarcation and has requested the Liberia Immigration Service to conduct an enumeration exercise.

The situation has been characterized by officials as a potential national security concern, given reports of foreign nationals occupying portions of community forestland.

The Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and the Liberia National Police (LNP) have dispatched personnel to Marlay Town, situated within Nimba County's Boe and Quella Administrative District. This deployment on Sunday, November 8, was a direct response to grievances lodged by local residents, who allege that Burkinabè nationals have encroached upon community forestland, restricted access to agricultural areas, and exacerbated an existing boundary dispute.

The joint delegation, comprising officials from the FDA and LNP officers, arrived to assess the situation on the ground. Residents, including women, reported that they could no longer freely access traditional farmlands and forest territories. Victor W. Kpaiseh, the FDA's Deputy Director General for Administration and Finance, affirmed the mission's purpose, stating it was a direct response to the community's pleas. He highlighted the residents' claims that their farms were inaccessible and that Burkinabè individuals had taken over their forest, emphasizing the need to identify the issues and determine an appropriate course of action.

Officials have characterized the ongoing situation as a potential national security concern, citing reports of foreign nationals occupying portions of community forestland. Warnings have been issued regarding the risks posed by uncontrolled forest clearing, ambiguous land arrangements, and escalating tensions over access to agricultural land, which could intensify conflict if not promptly addressed. In response, the FDA has stationed three forest rangers and three Liberia National Police officers in Marlay Town, tasking them with investigating reports of forest occupation and destruction, identifying those involved, and compiling information for a formal report. Further security personnel may be deployed as the investigation progresses.

Beyond the immediate dispute, authorities have expressed alarm over deforestation in the affected region. The FDA indicates that this case reflects wider pressures impacting Liberia's forests, where agricultural expansion, particularly cocoa cultivation, and migration have intensified competition for land. These factors have raised concerns about illegal clearing and threatened the livelihoods of local communities. Previous reports have linked the cocoa boom in southeastern Liberia to both forest loss and land disputes, often involving local landholders recruiting migrant cocoa workers, including Burkinabè and Ivorian nationals, under sharecropping arrangements where land is provided by owners and labor/investment by migrants. The FDA has previously reported that eight out of nine authorized community forests in Grand Gedeh were threatened or occupied, with several cases leading to investigations and referrals for prosecution.

A central element of the conflict involves an unresolved boundary between community land and a forest reserve, which was reportedly established in 1952. Residents informed the delegation that this boundary has become increasingly difficult to identify due to a lack of regular maintenance or re-demarcation. This neglect has created significant uncertainty regarding which areas fall under community ownership and which are designated as protected forest. The community has urgently called for a new demarcation exercise to clearly delineate the boundary.

The FDA delegation concurred that re-establishing the boundary's precise location is an essential component of any resolution. Residents also voiced concerns about land allegedly taken from the community adjacent to the reserve. One account presented during the meeting described the community's previous attempt to secure approximately 500 meters of land from the reserve for farming, only to find that land was instead taken from the community's side. While the FDA delegation acknowledged the critical importance of boundary clarification, they noted that this specific 500-meter claim had not been raised during the nearly three-hour town hall meeting.

To facilitate the resolution of the boundary dispute, the FDA intends to employ drone technology for the identification and re-demarcation of the contested forest boundary. This technological approach aims to provide a clear and accurate mapping of the area. Furthermore, the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) has been formally requested to undertake an enumeration exercise, which is expected to clarify the demographics and presence of various populations in the affected region. These multi-agency efforts underscore the government's commitment to addressing the complex issues of land use, community rights, and foreign national involvement in Liberia.

This development indicates heightened regulatory scrutiny and potential enforcement action by the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and Liberia National Police (LNP) concerning community forestland disputes and foreign national involvement in land use in Liberia. Lawyers advising clients on land acquisition, agricultural investments, or natural resource projects in Liberia, especially in Nimba County, should conduct rigorous due diligence on land boundaries, community rights, and potential encroachment risks, anticipating interventions from authorities like the FDA and Liberia Immigration Service.

Source: Original reporting via local Liberian media