Published: January 23, 2026
Monrovia — For families living at Camp Ramrod, popularly known as the 72nd Barracks in Paynesville, the government’s 14-day eviction order is being felt less as an administrative directive and more as a fast-moving march toward homelessness, one that threatens to uproot schoolchildren mid-term, shut down livelihoods overnight, and scatter a community many residents say has nowhere else to go.
Since the eviction notice took effect on Jan. 19, 2026, residents describe rising fear inside the sprawling settlement, long occupied by civilians alongside military facilities. They say armed soldiers have increased patrols at dawn and late at night, entry points have been tightened, and barbed wire has appeared across sections of the community.
“We are human beings. We are citizens of this country,” said Teta D. Sayway, who has lived in the barracks for more than three years. “We are the same people who voted and made Boakai president. You can’t just wake up and say we have 14 days to pack and leave.”
Sayway said the deadline could disrupt the school year for her children and others. “Even when you are renting in someone’s house, it takes time to leave,” she said. “Two or three months is not too much to ask.”
Fear at the doorstep
Residents told reporters that movement in and out of the community has become increasingly restricted, with some claiming entry is blocked after 7 p.m.—a shift they say is cutting into the survival strategies of families who depend on evening trading.
“Our children are frightened,” Sayway said. “They have never seen armed men like this before.”
She added that she was denied entry one night and had to beg before she was allowed back inside.
‘We paid to live here’
While the Ministry of National Defense says residents are illegal occupants, many civilians insist they entered the area through rent arrangements or outright purchases from individuals who claimed ownership.
Mercy Philip, who runs a small provision shop, said she moved to the barracks less than a month ago after paying a year’s rent of US$40 per month.
“I feel bad, but I can’t be angry with the government,” Philip said. “They have been reminding people to leave.”
Others say the government’s past actions sent mixed messages.
Oretha Freeman, a nine-year resident, recalled earlier eviction warnings that were later eased. She said a notice in 2025 was eventually withdrawn because authorities were “not ready,” creating the impression residents could stay longer.
“That’s why people didn’t rush to leave,” Freeman said. “Now they say 14 days. It’s not enough.”
She’s pleading that families remain until children complete the school year, or provide relocation support.
Mothers with nowhere to go
For Yamah Mulbah, a single mother of two who moved from Buchanan, the eviction notice has become a personal crisis.
“My children are in school. I’m not working. I have no helper. I don’t have money to go anywhere,” she said. “I need help.”
Decontee Greaves, also a nine-year resident and mother of four, said leaving now could erase months of schooling and strain families already struggling to pay tuition and rent elsewhere.
A nurse without a paycheck
Among the residents is Dorithy G. Conteh, a registered nurse who has lived at the 72nd Barracks since 1999. Conteh said her husband, an ex–Anti-Terrorist Unit officer during the Charles Taylor era, is now ill and unemployed.
Conteh also said she has spent the last seven years volunteering at the James N. Davis Hospital without pay.
“We understand this is not our land,” she said. “But 14 days is too short. If government wants us to leave within that time, they should give us some money to resettle.”
Community leaders raise land concerns
Beyond the humanitarian concerns, community leaders say a broader dispute is unfolding over the size of land being reclaimed.
Senesie A. Sesay, the community’s general chairman, accused the Ministry of National Defense of expanding its claim beyond what was originally purchased from the Barber family, the area’s reported original landowners.
“We woke up to see the barracks heavily occupied by the military, barbed wire everywhere, and entry points blocked,” Sesay said. “It created fear.”
Sesay said community records show the military acquired 8.6 acres but is allegedly seeking as much as 12 acres, including areas he claims contained private properties before the civil war. He warned that between 3,000 and 4,000 residents could be affected.
Sesay said the community is prepared to respect the eviction order but wants the government to present original land documents for public verification.
Lawmaker urges calm, promises dialogue
Montserrado County District #5 Rep. Priscillia Abram Cooper urged residents to remain calm and comply with the government’s order while talks continue.
“There is no argument about ownership of the barracks itself,” Cooper said. “But some residents believe the land they bought does not fall under AFL property.”
She also raised concerns about the scope of the barricaded area, saying reports suggest the AFL may have fenced off more than 30 acres, exceeding the commonly cited figure of about 8 acres.
“We will have a dialogue,” Cooper said. “The well-being of all will be high on the agenda.”
Government stands firm
In a Jan. 21, 2026, statement, the Ministry of National Defense reaffirmed its position that civilians occupying Camp Ramrod are illegal squatters.
The ministry said the barracks have been unlawfully occupied since the civil war, undermining efforts to rehabilitate the facility and expand accommodation for new recruits. Of the 37 acres it said have been occupied, the ministry said it is reclaiming 13 acres for renovation.
The ministry also described the facility as “strategic to Liberia’s national security,” citing its location and role in rapid military deployment along Monrovia’s northwestern flank.
It maintained that a four-month notice was issued in May 2025, and said no personal belongings would be confiscated during the evacuation.
Children staring at the unknown
Inside the barracks, the looming deadline is now being measured in children’s fears as much as adult frustration.
Ten-year-old Savior said she worries about leaving the only home she remembers.
“My mother said we will be leaving from here but she never told us where we are going to,” she said. “I will be missing my friends.”
Timothy, 12, said he fears losing his school and community.
“I don’t know where we will go,” he said. “My pa said he does not have money yet to rent… I will miss my friends in the school. I mean the barracks school.”
For Caroline, 17, a ninth-grader, the anxiety is both emotional and practical.
“I was 10 years old when we moved here and I have known here to be home,” she said. “The men in uniform are just passing around here with guns. We are scared.”
Her biggest worry, she said, is school.
“My parents don’t have another money to pay my tuition,” Caroline said. “I don’t even know if they have money for where we will be sleeping after leaving from here.”
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