The candidate of the Liberian People’s Party (LPP), Cllr. Taiwan Gongloe, has urged the government to immediately halt ongoing negotiations with UAE-based firm, Blue Carbon. The talks concern the acquisition of one million hectares of Liberian forest land, intended for carbon sequestration.
Gongloe labelled the proposed carbon concession as ‘outrageous’, suggesting it threatens to violate several Liberian laws, the rights of customary land-owning communities, and could potentially jeopardise the livelihoods of thousands of rural inhabitants.
In a statement released by the LPP on 18th July, Gongloe stated, “We are calling on the government to cease negotiations with Blue Carbon for one million hectares of forest land for a Carbon Concession”. He further insisted that before any agreement is finalised, parties must identify and inform communities who could be affected by the potential social and economic impacts and secure their consent.
Like the LPP, many land rights and conservation advocates share concerns that this impending agreement could be harmful to the country, especially in terms of rule of law and the empowerment of Liberians.
The Independent Forest Monitoring Coordination Mechanism (IFMCM), a forest watchdog, advised the government to avoid the deal as it could potentially infringe national laws governing the forestry sector. Both the Community Rights Law of 2009 with Respect to Forest Lands and the Land Rights Law of 2018 grant customary communities the right to free prior and informed consent for any activities impacting their land and forest.
The group said, “We are concerned about the granting of exclusive carbon rights to Blue Carbon, especially in the absence of adequate community participation in the negotiation.”
Gongloe pointed out that the forestry law disallows the government from including private land in forestry contracts and that forestry contract areas must not exceed 400,000 hectares. The proposition to allocate one million hectares under a single contract, involving community customary land, would violate these laws.
According to Global Forest Watch, Liberia recorded the highest primary forest loss since 2001, in 2022. While the proposed agreement with Blue Carbon might seem an opportunity to combat deforestation, critics argue that it infringes on rights and threatens the wellbeing of many Liberians.
The Liberian forestry sector has experienced numerous controversies over the years. The Forestry Development Authority (FDA) has repeatedly been accused of engaging in illegal activities, resulting in substantial losses for the country. Under the administration of George Weah, which began in 2018, these allegations have intensified, according to forest watchdogs and activists.
