MONRIVIA – Internal Affairs Minister Francis Nyumalin has caused significant disruption by instructing local officials to boycott a key land rights event in Lofa County. The ceremony, which was organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Land Management Activity (LMA) in partnership with the Liberia Land Authority (LLA), was intended to formally hand over customary land deeds to communities in Lower Tengia and Wonegizi. This event marks a crucial step in the ongoing efforts to improve land tenure security for Liberia’s rural communities.
The LMA, a USAID-funded initiative, collaborates with the LLA to provide legal titles to customary lands. This project aims to formalize land tenure for communities that have historically occupied their lands based on traditional practices without formal legal recognition. The Land Reform Rights Act of 2018 mandates that these communities can obtain legal deeds once they meet certain criteria, including the resolution of boundary disputes and formal recognition of their communal land rights.
Sources within the land sector confirm that the communities of Lower Tengia in Foya District and Wonegizi in Zorzor District had successfully completed all required formalization steps. This progress was expected to culminate in the official deed handover ceremony, a significant milestone for the communities involved. However, Minister Nyumlin’s recent directive has complicated these plans. He reportedly instructed Superintendent J. Lavelah Massaquoi and the Commissioners of Lower Tengia and Wonegizi to refrain from attending the event.
Nyumlin’s directive is reportedly driven by dissatisfaction with the current LLA Chairman, Atty. J. Adams Manobah. The Internal Affairs Minister is said to have political grievances against Manobah, stemming from Manobah’s lack of support for the Unity Party during the 2023 elections. Nyumlin’s frustration with Manobah’s political stance appears to have influenced his decision to prevent local officials from participating in the ceremony.
The exclusion of these key officials from the ceremony has sparked considerable concern among local residents and stakeholders. Many community members who were eagerly anticipating the deed handover now worry that the political conflict could undermine the progress made in securing land rights. The absence of local leadership at the event could potentially affect the implementation of the land rights reforms and delay the recognition of their land tenure.
Atty. J. Adams Manobah, Chairman of the Liberia Land Authority, confirmed that he was not notified in advance of Nyumlin’s decision. Manobah stated that despite Nyumlin’s absence, the LLA would proceed with the deed handover as planned. He emphasized that the legal framework guiding the land reform process would be upheld, and the ceremony would continue to honor the commitments made to the communities.
An anonymous official from the USAID Land Management Activity expressed surprise at the disruption, indicating that they had not been informed about Minister Nyumlin’s actions. This lack of communication has added to the confusion surrounding the event and raised concerns about the potential impact on the ongoing land reform efforts.
Efforts to reach Minister Nyumlin for comment have been unsuccessful, as phone calls to his office went unanswered and text messages were not returned. This lack of response has left many questions about the rationale behind his directive and the implications for the land rights initiative.
The disruption has elicited strong reactions from thousands of residents, including local authorities, traditional leaders, senior elders, women, and youth groups from Lower Tengia and Wonegizi. These groups were prepared to celebrate the milestone achievement of the deed handover, but Nyumlin’s intervention has cast a shadow over the event and raised concerns about the future of land reform in the region.
As the situation continues to unfold, the impact of Minister Nyumlin’s actions on the land rights initiative and community sentiment remains a critical issue. The ongoing investigation into the reasons behind his directive and its potential effects on the broader land reform efforts is anticipated to provide further clarity on the matter.
The community and stakeholders await further developments with a keen interest in understanding how political maneuvering will influence the progress of land tenure security and the broader goals of the land reform project. The outcome of this situation will likely have significant implications for future land management and political relations within Liberia.
