Published: August 18, 2025
KAKATA, Liberia — A looming land conflict has erupted at the newly commissioned Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) Military Camp Jones in Kakata, Margibi County, after soldiers installed barbed-wire fences around renovated barracks and more than 25 homes claimed by local residents.
The fencing, which locals say has left only one way in and out of the area, has raised fears of forced eviction. Residents insist they have received no formal notice but believe the army is reclaiming land they have lived on for years.
Camp Jones was first established in the 1980s to house AFL soldiers before Liberia’s civil war. After years of abandonment and destruction, families and individuals who sold or settled on parts of the property allegedly encroached upon the land. The recent renovations have reignited ownership disputes, leaving dozens of families uncertain about their future.
Archie Konoe, one of the affected residents, said he has lived on the disputed land for more than 15 years and bought his property from the Cheeks family, who claim legal rights to the area.
“Since the soldiers began renovations, we have been calling the Cheeks to intervene, but all they told us is that they can’t fight government,” Konoe told the Liberian Investigator. He added that residents appealed to the Ministry of Defense but received no redress, urging government instead to compensate them.“Starting life over again is a nightmare for us,” he said.
For Ma Kpannah Kollie, a single mother of six, the situation is even more dire. She said the house she lives in with her children belongs to her former brother-in-law, and eviction without compensation would leave them homeless.
“I know we can’t live here among the soldiers, but they should help us find another place. Our leaving from here needs money. I am not doing anything to survive now. Things are tough,” Kollie lamented.
She described daily struggles since the fencing went up; noting that movement is restricted and fetching water has become difficult.
In response, Margibi County Superintendent Ojay Morris has set up a committee to investigate how the land was sold. The probe is expected to examine claims involving the Goll and Cheeks families, both identified as groups that reportedly sold portions of the land now claimed by the AFL.
The committee, chaired by the Liberia Land Authority’s local office, also includes religious leaders, civil society representatives, and other stakeholders. Findings are expected in two weeks.
The dispute underscores Liberia’s long-standing land challenges, where unclear documentation and overlapping claims often spark clashes between communities and state institutions.
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