Squatting in Liberia

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Country marked in green
Liberia on globe

Squatting in Liberia is one of three ways to access land, the other being ownership by deed or customary ownership. West Point was founded in Monrovia in the 1950s and is estimated to house between 29,500 and 75,000 people. During the First Liberian Civil War 1989–1997 and the Second Liberian Civil War 1999–2003, many people in Liberia were displaced and some ended up squatting in Monrovia. The Ducor Hotel fell into disrepair and was squatted, before being evicted in 2007. Recently, over 9,000 Burkinabés were squatting on remote land and the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) has announced it will be titling all land in the country.

Overview[]

Aerial view of shacks
The West Point slum in 2013, on the left side of the picture. Clara Town is across the bridge.

Access to land in Liberia is achieved through squatting, ownership by deed or customary ownership (which does not use deeds).[1] From the 1950s onwards there have been squatted informal settlements in the capital Monrovia.[2] West Point was founded in the 1950s and is estimated to house between 29,500 and 75,000 people.[2] Many squats are beside the sea and in 2013, 200 homes in New Kru Town were washed away by a high tide.[2]

Civil wars[]

Derelict building
The Grand Masonic Temple of the Masonic Order of Liberia in 2006
Abandoned building porn
Derelict swimming pool at the Ducor Hotel

During the First Liberian Civil War 1989–1997 and the Second Liberian Civil War 1999–2003, many people in Liberia were displaced and some ended up squatting in Monrovia.[3] The government charged the squatters a US$20 annual fee to give squatters rights. This was allegedly based on the 1957 Zoning Code and although it gave no real legal right, it did give de facto tenure.[2] The Grand Masonic Temple of the Masonic Order of Liberia was occupied by 8,000 squatters.[4] The Ducor Hotel fell into disrepair and was squatted. The inhabitants were evicted in 2007.[5] As of 2014, there were 27 squatted areas in Monrovia.[2]

The ruined former palace of politician William Tubman in the town of Harper was also squatted.[6] In the nation's second city Ganta, Gio and Mano ex-soldiers squatted following the end of conflict. They are Christian and supported Charles Taylor's faction, whereas the houses they squatted were owned by Mandinka people who are Muslim and who fought for the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), so this has created tensions over land ownership.[7] From 2003 onwards, the local council has given squatters rights to people occupying privately owned land and the mayor herself was squatting. The mayor was forced to give up her squat in 2008 and cancel the squatters rights, yet this has not led to evictions.[7] Around 2,000 former LURD soldiers occupied a plantation located between Monravia and the border with Sierra Leone. As of 2005, they were refusing to leave the site until the United Nations offered them retraining and they were supporting themselves by illegally tapping rubber.[8]

2020[]

In Grand Gedeh County, over 9,000 Burkinabés were squatting on remote land in 2020.[9] In January 2021, the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) announced it would be digitally titling all land in the country. The Minister of Finance Samuel D. Tweah said "We should stop calling people squatters; let those squatters confer titles on squatters and let’s move on. There are too many lands here in this country; government gets plenty land".[10] In lower Margibi County, the residents of the 70 year old informal settlement Unification Town received title in 2020.[11]

References[]

  1. ^ Alfaro, Jose F.; Jones, Brieland (2018). "Social and environmental impacts of charcoal production in Liberia: Evidence from the field". Energy for Sustainable Development. 47: 124–132. doi:10.1016/j.esd.2018.09.004.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Tipple, Graham (2014). Liberia: Housing profile (PDF). Nairobi, Kenya: UN-HABITAT. ISBN 978-92-1-132626-0.
  3. ^ Williams, Rhodri C. (2011). Durable Solutions and Development-Induced Displacement in Monrovia, Liberia (PDF). Norwegian Refugee Council.
  4. ^ "Liberia – No More War: The Story". PBS. 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  5. ^ Minister of Information (3 May 2007). "President Sirleaf Directs Justice Minister to Evict Squatters from Ducor". Archived from the original on 3 May 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  6. ^ Gordon, Glenna; MacDougall, Clair (2016). "These Abandoned Buildings Are the Last Remnants of Liberia's Founding History". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Rincon, Jairo Munive (2010). Ex-combatants, returnees, land and conflict in Liberia. Copenhagen: CDR. ISBN 978-87-7605-383-3.
  8. ^ "Ex-fighters making money from latex refuse to leave rubber plantation". The New Humanitarian (in French). IRIN News. 19 April 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  9. ^ Carter, J. Burgess (28 August 2020). "More than 9,000 Burkinabes Illegally Squatting in Grand Gedeh". Daily Observer. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  10. ^ Johnson, Obediah (18 January 2021). "Government of Liberia Launches Processes Leading to Digitization And Systematic Land Titling". Front Page Africa. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  11. ^ Kollie, Abraham K. (30 November 2020). "Margibi: Indigenous Celebrate Ownership to Land After 70 Years". KM TV News. Retrieved 17 April 2021.

Further reading[]

  • Lacey, Linda (1998). "Squatter Settlements in Liberia: Towards the Integration of Housing and Population Policies". African Urban Quarterly. 3 (3–4): 219–229.
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