Customary Land Tenure in Liberia - Land Tenure and Property ...

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by relatively high population density (Gbanshay, Tengia, Ylan), close proximity to major urban centers (e.g.,
Gbanshay, Ding, Ylan), and the presence of high-value resources (e.g., Mana). In the event that the most
grievous disputes are not resolved, these clan members relayed that they will resort to violence. Meanwhile,
though disputes were present in other clans, members reported that they were not severe, and moreover, that
they were settled locally.
Growing population density appears to be leading to increased demand for cultivable land as more and more
people seek finite land to make farms. Pressures are exacerbated by the shifting cultivation system and the
need to adequately fallow land before it can be productively engaged. Also, the proximity of some clans to
major urban areas increases the number of wealthy, well-connected strangers, primarily from Monrovia,
seeking to acquire land in the clan. And, as infrastructure and stability improves, clans with high-value
resources are increasingly accessible – and vulnerable – to the acquisition of land by concessionaires and
companies. These pressures on land are further exacerbated by the expansion of high value tree cropping,
which shrinks the area of land available for seasonal cultivation, while also asserting an individual claim over
land that often supports many. Each of these elements decreases the amount of land available for the
cultivation and harvesting of natural resources and increases competition for the land, leading to disputes.
In almost all of the studied clans, agriculture was the primary source of livelihood. If the status quo does not
change, if alternative employment opportunities are not introduced, and if unclear boundaries persist,
competition over land and the prevalence of disputes will only increase in the future. The potential for violent
conflict was clear in several studied clans – including Gbanshay, Ding, Mana, and Motor Road – where
tensions with neighbors and with outsiders (including government agencies) claiming land and resources had
reached a boiling point.
Yet, in several other clans, disputes were not violent or severe. In these clans, dispute resolution mechanisms
appeared to be legitimate and effective. Additionally, the clans with the least violence also tended to be
further removed from urban centers and had not undergone a major shift to rubber cultivation (though cocoa
cultivation was prevalent in at least two of these clans, Tengia and Upper Workor). It is possible that, with
two fewer pressures on land – fewer strangers are seeking land in the clans and there has been a less drastic
shift to tree cropping – disputes in these clans have not reached the severity of those in Gbanshay, Ding,
Mana, Ylan, and Dobli.
Issues of compliance with customary rules and governance authorities that were raised by clan members are
also worthy of consideration. This is likely to have implications for the ability of customary authorities to
effectively and durably resolve disputes.
CUSTOMARY LAND TENURE IN LIBERIA