Liberia: What to Do about Land Disputes?

Sep 30, 2022 | David S. Menjor
View Original

The criminal conveyance of land, in the forms of double deals and fraudulent land deeds, continues unabated across Liberia, especially in Marshall City, Margibi County, with no end in sight. And given that there is no telling how far some parties — legitimate or illegitimate — are willing to go to secure property that they believe they are entitled to, the issue of land disputes might be a pandemic that needs serious attention. Curbing land disputes is indeed a task the Liberian government must not underestimate if it desires to ensure that there is lasting peace and genuine national reconciliation among its citizens.

This report focuses on cases in Margibi County, particularly Marshal City and its environs, where there have been numerous disenchantments expressed by people who have claimed to be victims of illegal land transactions. In November of 2019, the Daily Observer reported a story bearing the headline “Liberia: Double Dealings? Margibi Land Administrator Accused of Illegal Land Sales,” a news story in which there were a plethora of allegations that Joe Dorah, Land Administrator of Margibi, was involved in the criminal conveyance of land.