TRIBAL LAND DISPUTES have claimed the attention of the National Legislature as overshadowing economic and social cohesiveness in the country, especially in rural Liberia. Information reaching the Legislature is that the southeast, alone, has registered at least twenty-five customary land cases, both in-county and cross-county.
THE PASSAGE OF the Land Right Act and the Local Government Act of 2018 were expected to help in resolving some of these land disputes, but it appears like, in certain cases, exacerbation seems to be the perception, because to date the results are scanty. The drums of tribal instability as a result of customary land struggle are beating by the day, especially as Liberians are going to general elections, and violence of such could be provoked by election tensions.
ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2022 the House of Representatives began taking the appropriate steps to avert the spillover of customary land conflict into election violence, or interfering with the electoral processes of 2023. The plenary of the House voted to have the Land Authority, Internal Affairs and Traditional Council work on drafting a plan for the demarcation of boundaries aimed at resolving tribal land disputes ahead of the elections.
A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT on all land cases across the country, replete with progress made and financial implications, is to be submitted to that august body on or before September 15, 2022. We think this early effort of the National Legislature at ensuring a violence-free election by dealing with all potentially threatening situations, including customary land conflict, sends out the right signal to the public, stakeholders and international partners that the first branch of government is sincere and assiduously working toward peaceful elections one year from now.