MARLEY TOWN, Nimba County, November 5, 2026: Residents of Marley Town in Electoral District #6, Nimba County, are threatening protests and a boycott of the 2029 general elections over alleged forest encroachment and restrictions preventing them from accessing farmland.
The aggrieved residents are demanding that the Government of Liberia, through the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), allocate 500 acres of farmland to sustain their livelihoods.
They accused a group identified as the Bokina-Bees of allegedly farming within a reserved community forest where local residents have been prohibited from cultivating land since 2016.
According to community leaders, the FDA imposed restrictions on farming activities in the forest, but the alleged encroachers have continued operating without intervention from authorities.
The residents described the situation as discriminatory, accusing local officials of selectively enforcing forest protection regulations.
They claimed that the restrictions have deprived families of their primary source of income, forcing some parents to withdraw their children from school because of financial difficulties.
“We have no land to farm, and our children are dropping out of school because we cannot pay their fees. We are tired of suffering while others are allowed to farm in the same forest,” one resident lamented.
The residents also alleged that some local officials were favoring the Bokina-Bees, raising unverified claims of financial inducements.
They said repeated complaints to the FDA and Nimba County administration have yielded no meaningful results.
“We will protest if the government does not give us land to farm and remove the Bokina-Bees from the farmland,” the residents warned.
They further threatened to remove the alleged encroachers themselves if authorities fail to intervene, raising fears of possible confrontation.
Meanwhile, the residents warned that they would boycott the 2029 presidential and legislative elections unless their demand for farmland is addressed.
They called on the FDA and county authorities to investigate the allegations, ensure equal enforcement of forest regulations, and provide a lasting solution to the dispute.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and responses from the FDA, county authorities, and the accused group were not available in the account provided. -Editing by The New Dawn
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