By Matthias F. Larbeindee with the Liberia Forest Media Watch
Monrovia, Liberia – August 4, 2025–Lawmakers from Grand Gedeh and Nimba Counties are raising serious alarms over what they describe as the increasing and unchecked influx of Burkinabé nationals into their constituencies, calling the situation a national security emergency.
The lawmakers, participating on the July 31, 2025 of the Forest Hour Show held every Thursday on OK FM called on the central government to enhance border control, prosecute illegal entrants, and provide greater security presence in rural areas where tensions are rising between citizens and foreign settlers.
Grand Gedeh County District #3 Representative Jacob C. Debee described the situation in his district as dire and escalating. “My district is the hardest hit,” Rep. Debee stated. “Just this morning, another group of Burkinabes attacked and chop three others. The victims are now hospitalized, with some taken to a hospital in Ivory Coast and others to Tapita Hospital in Liberia.
He lamented the limited power of lawmakers in such matters, stressing the need for strong executive intervention. “The executive needs to assert its authority. We in the legislature don’t have the power to arrest. All we can do is encourage the police and judiciary to act sincerely,” he said.
Debee emphasized that the issue extends beyond Grand Gedeh. “This is a national emergency. What happens in Grand Gedeh affects Monrovia. The Burkinabes have outnumbered our citizens in some communities.”
He expressed frustration over repeated instances where arrested foreign nationals were released without prosecution. “A month ago, the FDA and local forest management teams arrested 23 of them. The police charged them, sent them to court, but they were released. The judicial system is weak,” he said.
Debee also claimed to have personally intercepted a group of Burkinabé nationals traveling into the area. “I arrested almost 20 of them on the road and turned them over to immigration. These people are not Liberian citizens. Some are involved in human trafficking and illegal entry,” he alleged.
Echoing similar frustrations, Nimba County District #6 Representative Dorwoan Gleekia said the government has failed to act despite years of warnings. “We have flagged these issues for three to four years, and nothing has been done. We made proposals to central government, but the necessary actions were never taken,” Gleekia said.
He accused the executive branch of being reactive rather than proactive. “Whenever our citizens stand up to defend their land, that’s when the government shows up to arrest them,” he lamented.
In District #6 of Nimba County, where many members of the Krahn ethnic group reside, Gleekia said the situation mirrors that of Grand Gedeh. “If you go to my district, you’ll see it’s frustrating. Our citizens are being imprisoned in Sanniquellie just for standing up for their rights,” he said.
Gleekia urged the government to treat the matter as a national crisis. “This cannot be left to the county administration or lawmakers alone. We need a holistic, national approach. If not, what started in Grand Gedeh might spread to Nimba,” he warned.
As the situation continues to unfold, citizens in affected areas are left feeling vulnerable, while calls for decisive government action grow louder.
