—As Inhabitants Reject Idea; Want FDA to Provide Alternative for Their Livelihood

IPNEWS: Inhabitants from Sinoe, Grand Gedeh, and Rivercess Counties Monday, November 7, rejected the Liberian Government through the Forestry Development Authority’s (FDA) proposed Krahn-Bassa protected area.

They had rejected the talks on grounds that the central government has abandoned and marginalized them for many years.

The government, through the FDA, in collaboration with Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, recently held a day-long consultative meeting with residents of the three counties aimed at allowing citizens to take part on the participatory mapping process in the proposed Krahn-Bassa Protected Area. The inhabitants flatly rejected and urged the FDA to rethink the decision of establishing a future protected national park in their forest.

The town hall meeting with the local residents was also aimed at adhering to the Legislature’s amendments and restatement of the proposed 2016 National Wildlife Conservation and Protected Area Management Law of Liberia. The legislation seeks to improve the legal framework governing wildlife management, protection, and utilization.

The meeting’s attendees, especially those from the three counties, chanted slogans that didn’t support what the FDA was asking them to do.

FDA and WCF day-long meeting was held in Gboe Geewon District, Grand Gedeh.

At the beginning of the town-hall meeting, FDA’s Deputy Director General for Operations, Mr. Joseph Tally said the Forestry Development Authority in collaboration with Wild Chimpanzee Foundation is organizing the meeting to create awareness on upcoming participatory mapping in the forest.

According to him the forest was proposed by the Government of Liberia since 1952 as preserved for Future National Park something according to him government through FDA has had several engagements with communities around the forest.

“We have come today to inform you about the upcoming participatory mapping exercise, which is slated for November 16, 2022.”

Tally told gathering that the sustainability of the forest is important for government and partners adding, “It will help to bring development to you; as such, we have come for all us, including Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, to do the Participatory Mapping together on November 16 for you to know boundary in the forest.”

The FDA’s Deputy Director for Operations, however, said that for residents of the three counties to get proper development there is need for government and its partners to guide the sustainable aspect of the forest

“Even though you the communities are the owners of the forest, but we need to guide you on how to use it because the forest has lots that will benefit you if we preserve it as a conversation area,” Tally said.

Following the presentation and overview of the projects, the spokesperson for Boe Smijillah City, Sinoe, Wanteh Myers, lauded FDA and WCF for the project but said the plan by FDA to set the Grand Gedeh, Sinoe and Rivercess forest aside as future protected area without engagement with communities around the forest is a way of marginalizing them.

Myers further said that both FDA and its partner, should have engaged with residents prior to the meeting for Participatory Mapping, stressing that those of them who live around the forest should have been consulted with by FDA and WCF before coming up with such action.

According to him, in 2018, President George Manneh Weah signed into law the Land Rights Act of 2018, which gives absolute right to community dwellers’ ownership of customary land.

So, if you want to do this mapping, you should firstly come to the people to sit with them and discuss the way forward.

“Currently, as we speak there are no roads, no health centers and no safe drinking water. The people are suffering; government has abandoned us for hundreds of years. Now, these people used the forest to send their children to school. So, if you declare this forest as a proposed park, how will the people’s children go to school? So, we want you go back and change your strategy; do the needful if you want to preserve the forest.

“So FDA and WCF, I am calling on you all to do the right things for our people who live in this forest.”

He informed the FDA and WCF teams that inhabitants of the three counties having joint custody of the forest were not against development for the area but was against the process leading to the development that the FDA said it was bringing to them.

“So, I have been told by our people to inform you to go back because they are not ready. We are aware of the suffering of our people who are residing in the Sapo National Park from the hands of FDA Rangers. The rangers always arrest them for killing animals and making farm around the park. As a result, their children are not going to school. So, we don’t want similar thing to happen to us here,” Myers stated.

Also making remarks, Peter Diagbah, a town chief of one of the villages deep inside the forest, said the only means of surviving in the forest is hunting and farming as such if FDA wants to use the forest as park, it should bring in a company that will provide jobs. He added: “If we are working with the company, we will be able to send our children to school.”