Liberia: Liberia’s New Land Rights Law Hailed as Victory, but Critics Say It’s Not Enough

Mar 22, 2019 | Jennifer O’Mahony, Mongabay
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In September 2018, President George Weah signed the Land Rights Act into law. The law is ambitious and clearly asserts the right to what is known as “customary land,” territory that can be claimed through oral testimony and community agreement. However, locked within the legislation is a flaw for those living on the quarter of the country’s land set aside for concessions: it is not retroactive. The law will not apply to those already living close to oil palm concessions, a difficult truth that is only just beginning to permeate thousands of villages in Liberia.