In the new report, ‘Confusions’ and Palava: The Logic of Land Encroachment in Lofa County, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) explores the conditions that produce land conflict in Liberia and the mechanisms used to resolve them. Lofa County is as a case study for the report.

Multiple waves of displacement, return and (re)settlement have significantly altered the many institutions that regulated access to land and land-based resources prior to the war. This has resulted in a range of tenure systems that are struggling to (re)establish themselves at a variety of scales. The very systems at play are undergoing intensive renegotiation from both internal and external forces.

The NRC report argues that the competing discourses employed by the various systems of authority in Lofa County to justify claims are creating opportunities for land encroachment, which is significantly reducing the security of tenure in this area. The perception of dispossession can lead to ‘confusions’ or palava, stages of a dispute that are generally being channeled into informal dispute resolution systems rather than formal mechanisms. These informal mechanisms are shaped by imperatives for ‘peace’ and ‘development,’ which increase the likelihood that negotiations will have a ‘satisfactory’ outcome for both parties, providing few disincentives for others to encroach. The weaknesses of formal, customary and informal institutions limits what punitive measures can be brought against those who violate the norms that would guarantee secure tenure, thus helping to perpetuate the cycle of encroachment.

Housing, Land and Property Rights in Liberia
Land conflicts are common throughout Liberia. This report is the first in a series the NRC plans to publish about housing, land and property rights, land tenure and land-related conflict in Liberia.

NRC has worked in Liberia since 2003, providing protection and assistance to support the return and reintegration of refugees and internally displaced persons. Since 2006, the NRC Information, Counseling and Legal Assistance (ICLA) project has assisted individuals and communities to resolve land disputes resulting from the 1989–2003 civil conflict. Supporting local stakeholders and institutions to prevent, manage and resolve land conflict is a critical component of the NRC’s work. The intention of this series of reports is to provide original research and analysis that supports the efforts of the Government of Liberia and civil society organizations to protect and promote housing, land and property rights.

The 1989-2003 civil conflict in Liberia killed 200,000 people, displaced one million and destroyed the country’s infrastructure and economy. Since the Accra Peace Agreement in 2003 more than 100,000 former combatants have been demobilized and virtually all internally displaced persons and refugees have returned to their homes. Despite progress in reconstruction and development, the security situation is fragile and serious humanitarian needs persist as returnees work to rebuild their lives.