Squatting in Liberia

Country marked in green
Liberia on globe

Squatting in Liberia is one of three ways to access land, the other two being ownership by deed or customary ownership. The informal settlement of West Point was founded in the capital 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. In the early 2020s, over 9,000 Burkinabés were squatting on remote land, and the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) announced a plan to title all land in the country.

Overview

Aerial view of shacks
The West Point informal settlement 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; 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, allegedly based on the 1957 Zoning Code; although this gave no actual legal rights to land, it did mark de facto tenure.[2] The Grand Masonic Temple of the Masonic Order of Liberia was occupied by 8,000 squatters,[4] and the derelict Ducor Hotel was also occupied, the inhabitants being 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 were Christian and supported Charles Taylor's faction, whereas the houses they squatted were owned by Mandinka people who were Muslim and who fought for the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), so these differences 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 relinquish her own squat in 2008 and cancel the permissions, yet this has not led to evictions.[7] Around 2,000 former LURD soldiers occupied a plantation located between Monrovia 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 financially by illegally tapping rubber.[8]

2020s

The Daily Observer reported in 2020 that over 9,000 Burkinabés were squatting on remote land in Grand Gedeh County.[9] In January 2021, the Liberia Land Authority 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 titles to their land in late 2020.[11]

Land reform and administration

The Liberia Land Authority (LLA), established in 2016, is the central government agency responsible for land administration, including land registration, survey, and policy implementation.[12] The creation of the LLA followed the passage of the Land Rights Act of 2018, which formally recognized customary land ownership and sought to clarify competing claims between customary, private, and public land.

The authority has played a central role in efforts to reduce land disputes and address informal land occupation by promoting systematic land registration and digital titling.[13] These initiatives aim to formalize land tenure in both rural and urban areas.

Land disputes in Liberia remain widespread due to overlapping claims, unclear ownership records, and competing customary and statutory systems.[14] At the same time, rapid urbanization and post-war displacement have contributed to the continued expansion of informal settlements, particularly in and around Monrovia.[2]

Demolitions and evictions

Since the mid-2020s, the Liberian government has undertaken a series of demolition and eviction exercises in Monrovia and surrounding areas aimed at removing unauthorized structures and reclaiming public and disputed land. These actions have often followed court rulings or government determinations of ownership, but have also generated controversy over due process and the treatment of affected residents.

In February 2026, dozens of residents in the Saye Town community in Sinkor were rendered homeless after demolition teams removed homes and community structures, including a school and church. Residents reported that the operation was carried out with little notice, raising concerns about human rights and adequate resettlement planning.[15]

Demolition efforts have also targeted areas considered environmentally sensitive. In 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through a national taskforce, demolished structures built on wetlands in Margibi County and other parts of Greater Monrovia, citing violations of environmental laws and the need to prevent flooding and ecological degradation.[16]

In Paynesville, the government and the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) have moved to reclaim land around the 72nd Barracks, leading to planned evictions and demolition of structures built on what authorities describe as military property. The actions, backed by the administration of President Joseph Boakai, have been part of broader efforts to reassert control over state-owned land.[17]

These demolition campaigns have highlighted ongoing tensions between land reform efforts, environmental enforcement, and the realities of widespread informal settlement in Liberia’s urban areas.

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. S2CID 158551971.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tipple, Graham (2014). Liberia: Housing profile (PDF). Nairobi, Kenya: UN-HABITAT. ISBN 978-92-1-132626-0. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  3. ↑ Williams, Rhodri C. (2011). Durable Solutions and Development-Induced Displacement in Monrovia, Liberia (PDF). Norwegian Refugee Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  4. ↑ "Liberia – No More War: The Story". PBS. 2005. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. 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. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  7. 1 2 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. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  9. ↑ Carter, J. Burgess (28 August 2020). "More than 9,000 Burkinabes Illegally Squatting in Grand Gedeh". Daily Observer. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. 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. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  11. ↑ Kollie, Abraham K. (30 November 2020). "Margibi: Indigenous Celebrate Ownership to Land After 70 Years". KM TV News. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  12. ↑ "Overview of the Liberia Land Authority". Liberia Land Authority. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  13. ↑ "Government of Liberia Launches Processes Leading to Digitization And Systematic Land Titling". FrontPage Africa. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  14. ↑ Williams, Rhodri C. (2011). Durable Solutions and Development-Induced Displacement in Monrovia, Liberia. Norwegian Refugee Council.
  15. ↑ "Liberia: Saye Town Demolitions Leave Residents Homeless". FrontPage Africa. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "Liberia: EPA Demolishes Illegal Structures to Reclaim Wetlands in Margibi County". FrontPage Africa. 27 October 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  17. ↑ "Liberia: President Boakai Backs AFL Move to Reclaim 72nd Barracks Property". FrontPage Africa. 6 February 2026. Retrieved 4 April 2026.

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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