Published: October 24, 2024
WACABA, Sinoe– In Sinoe County’s Wacaba Statutory District, a new logging contract has been signed between Dept Limited, a Liberian-owned company, and the residents of Sewacajua Authorized Forest Community. This development took place on September 30, 2024, in Gbalawin town following the termination of a previous contract with Mandra Forestry Liberia Limited in May 2024 due to allegations of non-compliance.
Under the Community Rights Law (CRL), communities hold the right to control and manage their forests. After canceling their deal with Mandra for non-compliance, Sewacajua quickly established a new agreement with Dept Limited.
However, this new contract seems to have bypassed the National Union of Community Forest Management Bodies (NUCFMB), the body responsible for overseeing and ensuring compliance in such agreements. Bonathan Walaka, the Union’s National Facilitator, expressed his concerns, stating that the union was not informed of the Sewacajua’s new partnership with Dept Limited. “The recent agreement was signed behind the back of the Union, preventing us from performing our duties in monitoring and advocacy,” he explained.
Moreover, Walaka criticized the leadership of Sewacajua’s Community Forest Management Body (CFMB) for not notifying the National Union about their decision to terminate the contract with Mandara. He emphasized that by law, the union must be informed of such decisions, which was not done in Sewacajua’s case.
Walaka also questioned the process of selecting a new contractor, noting that the Community Rights Law requires a public advertisement and a competitive bidding process involving at least three companies. However, Sewacajua selected Dept Limited unilaterally, skipping these steps.
Concerns about forest law violations were also highlighted by Walaka, noting that 95% of forest officials in Southeast Liberia have relocated to Monrovia, neglecting their duties in forest governance—a direct violation of the CRL.
The Chief Officer of Sewacajua Community Forest, Oliver C. Clarke, who is currently the Chief of Staff for Sinoe County District #1 Representative, Thomas Romeo Quioh, defended his position. Clarke argued that his role does not contravene the CRL, which specifically restricts Community Assembly members from holding influential positions but does not apply the same to CFMB officials.
Clarke also refuted allegations of failing to inform the union about the new contract, stating that the union was represented by its Regional Coordinator of the Southeast, Aloysius Saytue, during the signing ceremony.
This situation raises significant questions about the adherence to and enforcement of forest governance laws, calling for a closer examination of community and union roles in managing Liberia’s forest resources.
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