GBAPOLU- In a significant stride to guarantee customary land ownership in Liberia, the country’s oldest conservation organization, the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia and the Liberia Land Authority, have jointly embarked on a project to resolve all boundary disputes in three clans of Gbarpolu County, through community engagement dialogue and customary land formalization process.
By Francis G. Boayue
The three clans, Zuie, Mbarma, and Normon are located in Kongba District,a densely forested district in Gbarpolu County.
SCNL’s intervention in collaboration with the LLA in the area of customary land formalization is deeply rooted in the Land Right Act of Liberia, which seeks to address issues around land tenure and ownership.
The project is being funded by Rainforest Trust, an American-based non-profit conservation organization focused on preserving rainforests and other threatened ecosystems worldwide.
Its mission is to protect endangered species and habitats by working with local communities, national governments, and organizations to establish protected areas.
The Customary Land formalization activity is an additional fund secured under the existing project titled: “Liberia-Foya Reserve” a project focused on working with the government and communities to gazette the Foya proposed protected area.
The Customary Land Formalization process will focus on the Mbarma, Normon, and Zuie Clans. The CLF inception workshop held in Bopolu was meant to provide a platform for open dialogue, where communities and all stakeholders could flag out boundary dispute areas, and bring forth some resolution mechanism that the project team can work to implement.
This initiative is key in ensuring that the clans can manage their land and resources without fear of future contention, promoting harmony and environmental stewardship. Having an agreed-upon conflict resolution mechanism put in place by the communities themselves helps prevent any delays in the formalization process and ensures that all clans feel included and heard.
Addressing a cross-section of citizens of the three Clans, during a consultative inception engagement in Bopolu, Gbarpolu County, SCNL Program Manager, Michael Taire, said his organization is committed to working with Zuie, Mbarma, and Normon clans in getting their customary land deeds.
Mr. James P. Mulbah, the Project Coordinator said, “The process is critical as formalizing community land around the Proposed Foya Protected Area is to prevent overlaps and disputes between clans and the proposed Foya soon-to-be GbarLo National Park. Often, unclear or contested boundaries lead to resource management issues, inter-community conflicts, and unregulated exploitation of natural resources and as such; getting these clans Deeded gives a further opportunity for the community forests around the park to enter into future conservation agreements, trade carbon, and secure other alternative support as the result of the protection of this critical biodiversity hotspot”.
Mr. Tiare further assured the citizens that the process would be funded by SCNL and facilitated in collaboration with the Liberia Land Authority to ensure the full legalization of their customary land.
He noted that this would enable them to have legal rights over their respective lands void of conflict.
“We will work along with the Forestry Development Authority, Liberia Land Authority, the Internal Affairs Ministry, and the community themselves to do this Land formalization process which will help you get legal title to your land,” said Taire.
SCNL will not do the documentation of the land without involving the people who know about the land including the youth and women. “Youth I don’t want to put you on the spot but most of the information you get today, you got it from your father, you got it from your uncle and your great grandfather Taire said.
“This is not an easy process it is very expensive even for the government itself to do it is not easy it requires time it requires money it requires plenty things that need to be put in place”
So, when you hear people talking about customary land formalization it means that they want you to document everything land water, forest, and everything you get.
“This is just the beginning of the entire process, this one we call the inception program but it will not take long and we will be coming back to you in the communities to start the entire process of documenting your land.”
“I want to encourage you as you see the Liberia Land Authority, Forestry Development Authority, Ministry of Internal Affairs, and SCNL in your community. Please embrace them in your communities.
“SCNL will have to listen to all of the elders, chiefs, youths, and women because they know some of the historical relationships between some of these clans.”
“Don’t come with fixed minds if you come with fix mind it will give us difficulties we need to be open, and we need to have conversation so that we find common ground common ground does not mean everything will go in your favor common ground means we have to reason so that we set a boundary to resolve all of the problems.” Mr. Taire told citizens of the three clans.
“We can get everyone in the communities where it is not possible so we depend on all of you to be ambassadors go back with the message go back and let the people that LLA, FDA, and SCNL are coming to communities to the various clients be able to work with you and we expect you to open your arms to reason with the others clients around you so that we can be able to find a common ground to resolve this different boundary issues.”
“The law says the land for you nothing wrong with it you can farm you can do other things but for you to get real business on the land you need that land to be documented you need to get paper before you transact on the land and that paper is what we want to work with you people to get”, Tarie said.
“Without that paper, you will not be able to get the kind of benefits you people are talking about. Usually every time we meet you can always go to Sierra Leone but I like to always tell people Sierra Leone did not start receiving that benefit overnight.”
“You cannot receive those benefits when there is confusion all over and unwillingness to work with the government to ensure that your forest is set aside and protected Sierra Leone is receiving that money because their forests are protected you say you don’t want to protect your forest but you want the money that’s not possible so as we start the documentation process please be opened so we can work to get your deeds,”
In response to Mr. Taire, Citizens from Zuie, Mbarma, and Normon clans overwhelmingly welcomed the project and promised to cooperate with SCNL, LLA, FDA, and partners to ensure the successful implementation and success of the legalization of their customary land.
The citizens, which included chiefs, elders, women, and youth, told the gathering that SCNL activities in the clans have been a blessing for them because of the great deal of innovative programs the organization is bringing to them.
In separate remarks, they highlighted some of the conflict zones that require the speedy attention of SCNL conflict resolution and land documentation programs.
The citizens noted that with the land formalization process, they are of the strongest conviction that land conflicts and boundary disputes would be reduced to enable them to get title to the land and get benefits without any further problem.
They told SCNL and LLA to involve them at all levels of the project in order to achieve the actual result of granting them legal land ownership.
Members of the Legislature were also represented at the meeting and encouraged their people to work alongside SCNL and LLA to legitimize their land not just for farming but to do business with their land that will benefit them.
The lawmakers assured SCNL and partners of their support of the process considering that the project borders on the livelihood of their people. LLA Communication and Outreach officer, Jonah Segbe said the project will serve as a new dawn in solving land overlapping and land conflict.
Mr. Segbe urged beneficiaries of the project that the LLA will facilitate the development of by-laws to guide them against any form of crisis and create a new pathway for customary land ownership in Gbapolu County.
He said the land documentation process is a win-win situation that requires open discussion to identify and resolve existing land conflicts in the affected communities
