By: Geeplay Ezekiel Geeplay | Contributing Writer
Monrovia, Liberia |April 23, 2026 |A peace and biodiversity researcher is raising concern over what he calls a “steady move” of Burkinabé cocoa farmers into protected and community forests in Sinoe County. He warns that unregulated land deals could lead to conflict and hurt ecotourism.
Eddie M. Gibson, a theater expert and candidate for a Master’s in Biodiversity and Climate Change at the University of Liberia, made the warning after a recent sensitization tour in the southeast. The tour covered parts of Grand Gedeh and Sinoe counties and used drama to teach people about job loss and damage to forests.
“We saw some of them ourselves, with visible presence in Voogbadee and the Secon belt, including Pelokan,” Gibson said in a written report shared Monday.
He said villagers in parts of Sinoe are making land-use deals with Burkinabé farmers at a 60/40 split — 60% of proceeds to the Burkinabé and 40% to Liberian landowners.
“Do the math and see how that percentage turns out for the foreigners, who are in their thousands, in a few years,” Gibson wrote. “If this is not stopped now, we could lose a large part of the county to foreign control.”
He said similar problems are already happening in Grand Gedeh and River Gee, where land disputes have led to clashes between Liberians and Burkinabé farmers, and between migrants and Krahn and Grebo men. He warned the same could spread to Sinoe.
Gibson said he has information that some “big hands” in Sinoe and other affected counties are going to Ivory Coast to bring in Burkinabé farmers. He did not name anyone but asked those involved to stop the deals, saying they could cause conflict and damage ecotourism.
He also said some Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) personnel sent to remove illegal miners and hunters from Sapo National Park have made deals with the miners instead. He said he could not confirm if AFL leaders approved it, and noted “not all of them” were involved.
The Ministry of National Defense and the Forestry Development Authority had not responded to requests for comment by press time.
Sapo National Park is Liberia’s first protected area. It covers 1,804 square kilometers of rainforest and is home to chimpanzees, forest elephants, and pygmy hippopotamuses. It is also key to REDD+ and ecotourism projects.
Conservation groups say cocoa farming is a major cause of deforestation in the region. Liberia’s southeast holds some of the last large blocks of intact forest.
Gibson, who has a Master’s in Peace and Conflict Transformation from UL, said Sinoe “is sinking into renewed conflict that has begun to boil.”
He called on county officials, the FDA, and traditional leaders to stop new land deals and review existing ones.
“If we don’t want this to happen, then it is time we go in now and put a stop to it,” he said.
The Rural Reporters News Network has been reviewing concerns from locals about the rise of Burkinabé nationals in southeast Liberia. Reports point to unregulated farming and mining causing environmental damage and deforestation. There are also fears about crime and security risks.
Burkinabé migrants are moving to the southeast for cocoa farming and mining. Estimates say 23,000 to 40,000 are in the region, with some reports putting the number as high as 48,000.
The problem is made worse by poor documentation, leading to clashes and weakening Liberia’s role in the cocoa and rubber trade.
Some lawmakers are calling for urgent government action, citing security and environmental risks. At the same time, other officials are accused of bringing Burkinabé into the region for personal gain through cocoa farming.
Residents in Sinoe County worry about losing their land. Senator Augustine Chea has been accused by citizens of allowing over 1,000 Burkinabés into the county to work on his cocoa farm, raising fears of land conflict.
The government has started registering migrants, mainly Burkinabé nationals, to address illegal mining. But critics say more must be done to protect Liberia’s natural resources and prevent unrest.
1 Comment
Your breakdown of the topic is so well thought out.