Published: January 27, 2026
MONROVIA, Liberia — A Paynesville businesswoman has made an emotional appeal to the Liberian government to reconsider an eviction order affecting several commercial properties near the 72nd Junction, saying the decision threatens to wipe out a US$1.5 million private investment and was carried out without due notice.
Frances Yonger Morsay, owner of the Help Yourself Business Center, broke down in tears as she spoke with reporters, urging authorities to intervene in what she described as an unjust eviction process tied to lands surrounding the Armed Forces of Liberia’s Camp Ramrod Barracks.
Claims of No Notice, No Due Process
Morsay said she was never formally notified by the Armed Forces of Liberia of plans to reclaim the property, which she insists is not located on AFL land.
“I am not on the properties of the AFL. Even if we are asked to leave this land, we must be given notice, but we were not given any,” Morsay said.
“As a Liberian businesswoman, I have invested over 1.5 million United States dollars.”
She said she has occupied the land for about 10 years and was never informed during that period that the property belonged to the military.
Disputed Ownership and Deed History
Explaining her ordeal, Morsay said she acquired the land from a family that holds deeds dating back to the 1970s, well before Liberia’s civil war. She said the family now resides in the United States and requested two weeks to return to Liberia to address the dispute through legal channels.
According to Morsay, the AFL declined to wait.
“The family asked for two weeks to return to Liberia to go through the process, but the AFL can’t wait,” she said.
She said the land is located near the Army barracks but is not part of the barracks property, adding that the scale of her investment warrants urgent government attention.
Business Disruption, Financial Pressure
Morsay said she and other affected property owners initially complied with the AFL’s decision to barricade the area but claimed the continued enforcement actions have effectively shut down their businesses.
She said for more than a week, customers have been unable to access her business center, causing severe financial strain.
“For the past one week, no one has come to my business center to do business,” she said. “If this property is confiscated, I am going to lose 1.5 million United States dollars.”
She said appeals to the office of Montserrado County District No. 13 Rep. Priscilla Abram Cooper have so far yielded no redress.
Appeal to President, Defense Ministry
Morsay said she plans to formally appeal to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the Ministry of National Defense, asking for intervention and a review of the eviction process.
“I am a Liberian businesswoman. Without any support, I reached this far,” she said.
Government Orders Evacuation of Camp Ramrod
The Ministry of National Defense has reiterated its call for the immediate evacuation of all illegal occupants from Camp Ramrod Military Barracks, commonly known as the 72nd Barracks.
In a statement, the ministry urged civilians occupying areas within and around the barracks to vacate within 14 days, effective Monday, Jan. 19, 2026.
Authorities said that during the voluntary evacuation period, the AFL Engineering Battalion will erect physical barricades to demarcate the military property.
Camp Ramrod, the ministry said, has been illegally occupied since the Liberian civil war, hampering efforts to rehabilitate the facility and expand accommodation for newly recruited AFL personnel.
The eviction effort, officials say, is necessary to restore full control of the military installation, though affected residents and business owners are calling for dialogue, compensation or due legal process before any demolition takes place.
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