Dyrus Zinnah|Lower Buchanan, Grand Bassa
Hundreds of rural dwellers and land rights experts are meeting in the port city of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, to review successes and challenges on the New Land Rights Act of Liberia.
The New Land Rights Act, was passed three years ago following persistent pressure from Civil Society Organizations and land actors. Traditional land users, local government officials and International partners are shearing experiences about the danger of land conflicts around the world at the Land Conference. Liberia Public Radio reporter covering the land conference says some of the participants mostly women, are for the first time getting knowledge on the different categories of land in Liberia. Our reporter says facilitators at the Land Conference are projecting a clearer and realistic picture of danger land conflict poses among communities and best solutions to remedy it. The National Land Conference is organized by the Multi-actors platform on land governance and responsible Agricultural Investment in Liberia( MAP Liberia Land Platform) with technical support from International Partners.
The ongoing National Land Conference is under the theme: Celebrating three years of Liberia Land Rights Act.
CSOs push for full implementation
3 years on, several Civil society organizations groups are calling on the Liberia Land Authority to halt issuance of tribal certificates in order to alleviate crisis in land ownership of Liberia.
The CSO Oil palm working Group recounted that tribal land certificate issuance has led to several land diaputes in the country and wants concrete action taken by authority.
According recent report published month by the CSO Land Reform Working Group (CSO LRWG) found the Land Authority issued 11 deeds to individuals in Nimba and a community in Bomi from tribal certificates in the absence of regulations and without the participation of campaigners.
There have also been reports of current and former government officials, and influential businesspeople claiming community lands across the country. Dubbed by civil society organizations as “elite land-grab,” the practice has seen many communities their ancestral land.
