Two senior members of the Liberian Senate have offered conflicting accounts regarding the presence of Burkinabé in Grand Gedeh County.
By Obediah Johnson, [email protected]
The senators—Momo Cyrus of Lofa County and Thomas Yaya Nimely of Grand Gedeh—gave contrasting statements during a recent session of the Liberian Senate. Their debate centers around ongoing concerns raised by the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), which has repeatedly warned about alleged illegal farming activities by Burkinabé nationals in the county.
Reporting on the situation, Senator Cyrus, who chairs the Senate Committee on National Defense, Security, Intelligence, and Veteran Affairs, alleged that the Burkinabé and other foreign nationals are not only engaged in illegal farming but also in illicit mining operations.
“These illegal occupants are reportedly armed and well-organized,” Senator Cyrus stated. “We’ve engaged the Minister of Justice to investigate the matter through the police and the joint security apparatus.”
He further warned that if findings prove the situation poses a national security threat, he would push for Senate Plenary to mandate the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) to intervene.
“The intervention of the AFL would help restore security and protect Liberia’s sovereignty,” he added.
However, Senator Nimely pushed back against his colleague’s claims, asserting that the Burkinabé have been living in Grand Gedeh for over five years without official registration by the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS).
“There are probably over 10,000 Burkinabé in Grand Gedeh,” he said. “We’ve asked immigration and the NSA to enumerate them—go to these communities, get their names, their country of origin—but that hasn’t been done.”
Nimely argued that the Burkinabé claim they came to Liberia for farming purposes and criticized the lack of evidence suggesting they pose a threat.
“If the security believes they are here to endanger lives, let’s see that documentation. I’ve seen no proof that they’re armed or dangerous,” he said.
He further claimed that the issue is not with the Burkinabé themselves, but with those who brought them into the country and granted them access to communal lands without proper legal procedures.
“These lands have no deed, and people are just giving them away,” Nimely stated, noting that the situation has led to numerous land-related conflicts he’s had to mediate.
He also accused immigration officials of collecting money from the Burkinabé while failing to do their job. “They say the Burkinabé are the problem, but they’ve been taking money from them. Why would 10,000 people come to one county just to farm? That’s a serious concern.”
Nimely warned that the lives of Liberians could be at risk if immigration continues to neglect its duties.
“Security isn’t just about setting up checkpoints. Use your analysis to figure out why these people are here,” he said. “Talk to them directly, don’t just disrupt the movement of citizens with checkpoints.”
His statements directly contradict Senator Cyrus’s account that the Burkinabés are armed and organized.
The debate also echoes past tensions in Grand Gedeh. In September 2022, the Supreme Court of Liberia upheld life sentences for nine individuals, including Grand Gedeans and Ivorians, who were convicted of mercenaryism linked to the post-electoral conflict in Côte d’Ivoire in 2011–2012. Of the original 18 defendants, five were acquitted and four were later granted clemency by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.