Evaluation of Traditional Land Dispute Resolution Mechanisms in Liberia

Abstract

Land dispute is ubiquitous in Liberia. Most problems arise from people who squat on land illegally and in some instance sell the same parcel of land to more than one person. Usually, this issue is resolved by traditional land dispute resolution mechanisms. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the traditional land dispute resolution mechanisms in Liberia by employing an empirical and comparative approach and drawing on data collected from 110 farming households. The nature of the conflict, causes of land dispute, individuals’ characteristics, the mandate of the traditional mediators, the linkage between the legal process and traditional land dispute resolution mechanisms, the forms of the resolution mechanisms, the acceptance of the outcomes, and political and social situations were carefully studied. The findings of this study thus supported the notion that traditional means for resolving land disputes are more efficient than the statutory system. Additionally, it was demonstrated that the traditional and the statutory land dispute resolution mechanisms complement one another. However, there is an indication that land dispute will continue to be the biggest concern in the future as many people have started squatting and exploring open areas throughout the country. This is because the country's land laws and policies are not widely known by the citizens. Thus, policy intervention is needed.