Published: August 7, 2024
GANTA – Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, on behalf of President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, reaffirmed the government’s stance on Liberia’s land ownership laws amidst reports of illegal land acquisition by undocumented Burkinabe nationals.
By S. Kannay Ziamo, Nimba County
VP Koung said that only Liberian citizens are entitled to own land within the country. This statement comes amidst growing concerns over the influx of Burkinabe nationals into Liberia’s forest regions, particularly in the bordering counties of Grand Gedeh, Maryland, Nimba, and River Gee.
Speaking in Ganta, Nimba County, during a National Orientation Workshop organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vice President Koung cautioned against granting land to non-citizens in exchange for casual labor such as farm work or land clearing. He stressed that the country’s laws must be respected.
“Under the law of Liberia, only citizens of Liberia are entitled to own land,” Vice President Koung stated. “You can’t give land to people who are not citizens of Liberia.”
The Vice President also highlighted the critical role of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in defending the country and maintaining national security. He urged the ministry’s leadership to begin documenting every non-Liberian national residing in the country. Additionally, he called on local officials in various counties to support efforts to document non-Liberian residents as part of a broader effort to manage the situation and seek potential support from partners.
“The security of this country is in your hands; you are the first contact persons,” VP Koung said.
The illegal influx of immigrants, especially from Burkina Faso and Ghana, who reportedly migrated from neighboring Ivory Coast since 2015, continues to increase, raising concerns among local communities.
It is not independently established how these Burkinabe and Ghanaian nationals entered Liberia. However, reports indicate that Burkinabe nationals are often invited by locals in Nimba, Grand Gedeh, Maryland, and River Gee counties to assist with farming and other casual labor. Similarly, Ghanaians reportedly enter these counties for illegal mining and dredging purposes, often through porous border points with Ivory Coast.
The undocumented residence status of these immigrants continues to concern local communities, leading to reports of violence between them and some locals. In August 2023, a 25-year-old Burkinabe national, Glekwa Kabore, was allegedly shot by an unknown individual in the Zoedru Forest in Nimba County. The Zoedru Forest hosts many Burkinabe who cultivate large cocoa farms for locals in the Kparblee district area. In return for their labor, the Burkinabe are given land by those they work for.
The situation has prompted intervention by the Liberian Legislature. On July 19, 2024, the Plenary of the House of Representatives mandated its joint committees on National Security, Internal Affairs, and Judiciary to investigate the influx of Burkinabe and other nationals into forested areas along the Ivory Coast border, including Nimba, Grand Gedeh, River Gee, and Maryland counties, and report findings to the Plenary for action.
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