Squatting in Liberia

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Liberia on globe Liberia (orthographic projection).svg
Liberia on globe

Squatting in Liberia is one of three ways to access land, the other two being ownership by deed or customary ownership. The informal settlement West Point was founded in the capital Monrovia in the 1950s and is estimated to house between 29,500 and 75,000 people. During the First Liberian Civil War 1989–1997 and the Second Liberian Civil War 1999–2003, many people in Liberia were displaced and some ended up squatting in Monrovia. The Ducor Hotel fell into disrepair and was squatted, before being evicted in 2007. In the early 2020s, over 9,000 Burkinabés were squatting on remote land and the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) announced a plan to title all land in the country.

Contents

Overview

The West Point informal settlement in 2013, on the left side of the picture. Clara Town is across the bridge. Slums Monrovia Liberia West Africa July 2013.jpg
The West Point informal settlement in 2013, on the left side of the picture. Clara Town is across the bridge.

Access to land in Liberia is achieved through squatting, ownership by deed or customary ownership (which does not use deeds). [1] From the 1950s onwards there have been squatted informal settlements in the capital Monrovia. [2] West Point was founded in the 1950s and is estimated to house between 29,500 and 75,000 people. [2] Many squats are beside the sea and in 2013, 200 homes in New Kru Town were washed away by a high tide. [2]

Civil wars

The Grand Masonic Temple of the Masonic Order of Liberia in 2006 LiberianMasonicBuilding.jpg
The Grand Masonic Temple of the Masonic Order of Liberia in 2006
Derelict swimming pool at the Ducor Hotel The swimming pool area of the former Ducor Palace Hotel in Monrovia, Liberia.jpg
Derelict swimming pool at the Ducor Hotel

During the First Liberian Civil War 1989–1997 and the Second Liberian Civil War 1999–2003, many people in Liberia were displaced and some ended up squatting in Monrovia. [3] The government charged the squatters a US$ 20 annual fee, allegedly based on the 1957 Zoning Code and although this gave no actual legal rights to land, it did mark de facto tenure. [2] The Grand Masonic Temple of the Masonic Order of Liberia was occupied by 8,000 squatters [4] and the derelict Ducor Hotel was also occupied, the inhabitants being evicted in 2007. [5] As of 2014, there were 27 squatted areas in Monrovia. [2]

The ruined former palace of politician William Tubman in the town of Harper was also squatted. [6] In the nation's second city Ganta, Gio and Mano ex-soldiers squatted following the end of conflict. They were Christian and supported Charles Taylor's faction, whereas the houses they squatted were owned by Mandinka people who were Muslim and who fought for the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), so these differences created tensions over land ownership. [7] From 2003 onwards, the local council has given squatters rights to people occupying privately owned land and the mayor herself was squatting. The mayor was forced to relinquish her own squat in 2008 and cancel the permissions, yet this has not led to evictions. [7] Around 2,000 former LURD soldiers occupied a plantation located between Monravia and the border with Sierra Leone. As of 2005, they were refusing to leave the site until the United Nations offered them retraining and they were supporting themselves financially by illegally tapping rubber. [8]

2020s

The Daily Observer reported in 2020 that over 9,000 Burkinabés were squatting on remote land in Grand Gedeh County. [9] In January 2021, the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) announced it would be digitally titling all land in the country. The Minister of Finance Samuel D. Tweah said "We should stop calling people squatters; let those squatters confer titles on squatters and let’s move on. There are too many lands here in this country; government gets plenty land". [10] In lower Margibi County, the residents of the 70-year-old informal settlement Unification Town received titles to their land in late 2020. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting</span> Unauthorized occupation of property

Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there were one billion slum residents and squatters globally. Squatting occurs worldwide and tends to occur when people find empty buildings or land to occupy for housing. It has a long history, broken down by country below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ducor Hotel</span> Abandoned hotel in Monrovia, Liberia

The Ducor Hotel is an abandoned luxury hotel in Monrovia, Liberia. Established in 1960, it had 106 rooms on eight stories. The hotel has fallen into disrepair after being occupied by squatters, later removed during a failed effort at a Libyan-funded renovation. The building sits on Ducor Hill, the highest point of the city, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the Saint Paul River and Monrovia's West Point district. It is located at the end of Broad Street across from United Nations Boulevard in Monrovia's main business district.

In the United States, squatting occurs when a person enters land that does not belong to them without lawful permission and proceeds to act in the manner of an owner. Historically, squatting occurred during the settlement of the Midwest when colonial European settlers established land rights and during the California Gold Rush. There was squatting during the Great Depression in Hoovervilles and also during World War II. Shanty towns returned to the US after the Great Recession (2007–2009) and in the 2010s, there were increasing numbers of people occupying foreclosed homes using fraudulent documents. In some cases, a squatter may be able to obtain ownership of property through adverse possession.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Australia</span> Occupation of land or buildings in Australia without permission of owner

Squatting in Australia usually refers to a person who is not the owner, taking possession of land or an empty house. In 19th century Australian history, a squatter was a settler who occupied a large tract of Aboriginal land in order to graze livestock. At first this was done illegally, later under licence from the Crown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Ireland</span> Occupying without permission

Squatting in the Republic of Ireland is the occupation of unused land or derelict buildings without the permission of the owner. In the 1960s, the Dublin Housing Action Committee highlighted the housing crisis by squatting buildings. From the 1990s onwards there have been occasional political squats in Cork and Dublin such as Grangegorman, the Barricade Inn, the Bolt Hostel, Connolly Barracks, That Social Centre and James Connolly House.

Squatting is the occupation of unused or derelict buildings or land without the permission of the owner. From the 17th century onwards, there have been waves of squatting in Ukraine. In the 21st century, squatting has been practiced by different groups such as artists, anarchists, Ukrainian nationalists, displaced Crimean Tatars returning to the region and refugees created by the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in South Korea</span> Occupation of land or buildings without the permission of the relevant authorities

Squatting in South Korea is the occupation of land or buildings without the permission of the relevant authorities. From the 1950s onwards, shanty towns called P'anjach'on formed around cities, in particular the capital Seoul. As well as providing housing, squatting is used as a tactic by groups opposing gentrification and striking workers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Namibia</span> Occupation of unused land or derelict buildings without the permission of the owner

Squatting in Namibia is the occupation of unused land or derelict buildings without the permission of the owner. European settlers arrived in the nineteenth century and acquired land, leaving only 38 per cent of land in indigenous hands by 1902. This led to squatting and the Herero Wars, which ended with the Herero and Namaqua genocide. After Namibian independence in 1990, squatting increased as people migrated to the cities and land reform became a goal for those who had participated in the liberation struggle. By 2020, 401,748 people were living in 113 informal settlements across the country. Squatting continues to be regulated by the Squatters Proclamation of 1985; a challenge to this law was dismissed by the High Court in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Ghana</span>

Squatting in Ghana is the occupation of unused land or derelict buildings without the permission of the owner. Informal settlements are found in cities such as Kumasi and the capital Accra. Ashaiman, now a town of 100,000 people, was swelled by squatters. In central Accra, next to Agbogbloshie, the Old Fadama settlement houses an estimated 80,000 people and is subject to a controversial discussion about eviction. The residents have been supported by Amnesty International, the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions and Shack Dwellers International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Albania</span> Occupation of unused buildings

Squatting in Albania began on a large scale in the 1990s after the fall of communism, with internal migration towards formerly collectivised farmland establishing informal settlements. One such area, Bathore on the periphery of the capital Tirana, had 40,000 squatters by the early 2000s who successfully campaigned for better amenities. Other squatters occupied severely polluted post-industrial sites. The Agency of Legalization, Upgrading, and Integration of Informal Zones and Buildings (ALUIZNI) had legalized 16,500 homes on 152 settlements by 2009. As of 2020, 25 per cent of the population of Albania's cities lived in informal settlements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Chile</span> Occupation of unused land or derelict buildings without the permission of the owner

Squatting in Chile is the occupation of unused land or derelict buildings without the permission of the owner. From the 1960s onwards, informal settlements known as callampas were permitted although there were also evictions such as the massacre of Puerto Montt in 1969. In the 1970s, the government of Salvador Allende encouraged occupations, then following the coup d'état, the military junta repressed squatting. Callampas then became known as campamentos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Venezuela</span> Occupation of unused land or derelict buildings without permission of owner

Squatting in Venezuela is the occupation of derelict buildings or unused land without the permission of the owner. Informal settlements, known first as "ranchos" and then "barrios", are common. In the capital Caracas notable squats have included the 23 de Enero housing estate, Centro Financiero Confinanzas and El Helicoide, a former shopping centre which is now a notorious prison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in the Philippines</span> Occupation of derelict land or abandoned buildings

Urban areas in the Philippines such as Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao have large informal settlements. The Philippine Statistics Authority defines a squatter, or alternatively "informal dwellers", as "One who settles on the land of another without title or right or without the owner's consent whether in urban or rural areas". Squatting is criminalized by the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992, also known as the Lina Law. There have been various attempts to regularize squatter settlements, such as the Zonal Improvement Program and the Community Mortgage Program. In 2018, the Philippine Statistics Authority estimated that out of the country's population of about 106 million, 4.5 million were homeless.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Nepal</span>

Squatting in Nepal occurs when people live on land or in buildings without the valid land ownership certificate. The number of squatters has increased rapidly since the 1980s, as a result of factors such as internal migration to Kathmandu and two decades of civil war in Nepal. In March 2021, the chairperson of the Commission on Landless Squatters stated that all landless squatters would receive ownership certificates within the following eighteen months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Angola</span> Occupation of unused land or derelict buildings in Angola without permission of owner

Squatting in Angola occurs when displaced peoples occupy informal settlements in coastal cities such as the capital Luanda. The Government of Angola has been criticized by human rights groups for forcibly evicting squatters and not resettling them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Cambodia</span> Property squatting in the country of Cambodia

Squatting is common in the country of Cambodia. Following the Khmer Rouge and the Pol Pot regime, the new democratic government introduced land reform. In the capital Phnom Penh, where in 2003 an estimated 25 per cent of the population was squatting, there are informal settlements and occupied buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Thailand</span> Occupation of unused land or derelict buildings without permission of owner

Squatting in Thailand was traditionally permissible under customary law and adverse possession can occur after ten years of continuous occupation. As of 2015, the capital Bangkok had over 2 million squatters, out of a population of around 10 million. A survey of slums across the country noted in 2000 that most were rented not squatted; Khlong Toei District in Bangkok contains both squatters and tenants. There are also squatters in rural areas. The 1975 Agricultural Land Reform Act aimed to redistribute land to poor people under the Sor Por Kor program and as of 2019, 36 million rai of land had been assigned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Taiwan</span> Illegal occupation of property in Taiwan

Squatting in Taiwan is the occupation of unused land or derelict buildings without the permission of the owner. Squatting was fuelled by migrants from China from the 1950s onwards and in addition cities such as the capital Taipei were swelled by internal migrants from the countryside. In order to create Daan Forest Park, 12,000 squatters were evicted. The informal settlement at Treasure Hill has been recognized as cultural heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Kenya</span> Residential occupation in farms and cities

During the colonial occupation of Kenya, Black Africans working on farms owned by white settlers were called "squatters" by the British. As of 1945, there were over 200,000 such squatters in the Highlands and more than half were Kikuyu. The Mau Mau rebellion began amongst these squatters in the late 1940s and after independence in the early 1960s, peasants started squatting land in rural areas without the permission of the owner.

References

  1. Alfaro, Jose F.; Jones, Brieland (2018). "Social and environmental impacts of charcoal production in Liberia: Evidence from the field". Energy for Sustainable Development. 47: 124–132. doi:10.1016/j.esd.2018.09.004. S2CID   158551971.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Tipple, Graham (2014). Liberia: Housing profile (PDF). Nairobi, Kenya: UN-HABITAT. ISBN   978-92-1-132626-0. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  3. Williams, Rhodri C. (2011). Durable Solutions and Development-Induced Displacement in Monrovia, Liberia (PDF). Norwegian Refugee Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  4. "Liberia – No More War: The Story". PBS. 2005. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  5. Minister of Information (3 May 2007). "President Sirleaf Directs Justice Minister to Evict Squatters from Ducor". Archived from the original on 3 May 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  6. Gordon, Glenna; MacDougall, Clair (2016). "These Abandoned Buildings Are the Last Remnants of Liberia's Founding History". Smithsonian Magazine. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  7. 1 2 Rincon, Jairo Munive (2010). Ex-combatants, returnees, land and conflict in Liberia. Copenhagen: CDR. ISBN   978-87-7605-383-3.
  8. "Ex-fighters making money from latex refuse to leave rubber plantation". The New Humanitarian (in French). IRIN News. 19 April 2005. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  9. Carter, J. Burgess (28 August 2020). "More than 9,000 Burkinabes Illegally Squatting in Grand Gedeh". Daily Observer. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  10. Johnson, Obediah (18 January 2021). "Government of Liberia Launches Processes Leading to Digitization And Systematic Land Titling". Front Page Africa. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  11. Kollie, Abraham K. (30 November 2020). "Margibi: Indigenous Celebrate Ownership to Land After 70 Years". KM TV News. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.

Further reading