Wellor Town, Grand Cape Mount County, Liberia –
The Community Sustainable Development Platform (CSDP), a local civil society organization, has successfully concluded a two-day community engagement aimed at resolving longstanding land disputes in Grand Cape Mount County.
Held from August 30–31, 2025, in Wellor Town, Tewor District, the initiative brought together residents from more than seven neighboring towns and villages in the Paasewe Clan.
The engagement sought to raise awareness about the Land Rights Act of 2018, with a focus on land formalization, peaceful conflict resolution, and the importance of securing legal documentation for communal land ownership.
Participating communities included Wellor, Tewor, Sajanamalor, Faasa, Mambo, Wonde, Mende, Vaama, Gohn, Ngandon, Kalloh, Yakajie, and Ma-Kangor, among others.
The event featured community dialogues, planning sessions, and educational workshops to empower residents with knowledge of their land rights and the legal processes required for obtaining land titles.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Alfred Kaiwu, Chief Executive Officer of CSDP, underscored the significance of land ownership and legal documentation in promoting community development and preventing conflict.
“Land disputes have the potential to cause serious tension—not just in these communities but across the nation,” Mr. Kaiwu said. “Our goal is to support residents in understanding their rights under the 2018 Land Rights Act and assist them in navigating the legal processes needed to formalize land ownership.”
Mr. Kaiwu reaffirmed CSDP’s commitment to providing continued support to communities in securing proper land documentation and achieving legal recognition. He emphasized that legal ownership is key to unlocking development opportunities and reducing land-related conflicts.
Also addressing the gathering, Chief Varney Passawe, Town Chief of Wellor, commended CSDP for spearheading the initiative and called on the national government—particularly the Liberia Land Authority (LLA)—to take a more active role in rural land governance.
“We appreciate this engagement because without legal documents, our people cannot fully benefit from their land,” Chief Passawe stated. “With proper credentials, investors will be more confident to invest, and our residents will finally see the benefits of their ancestral lands.”
He stressed that while raising awareness is a critical first step, practical government involvement is essential to ensuring land rights are protected and disputes resolved according to the law.
According to CSDP, the two-day engagement will be followed by targeted workshops and technical support to help communities begin the legal process of land formalization as outlined in the Land Rights Act. The organization is also exploring partnerships with the Liberia Land Authority and other stakeholders to accelerate land surveys, boundary demarcations, and the issuance of legal deeds to communities.
This initiative is part of CSDP’s broader campaign to promote peace, sustainable development, and inclusive governance in Grand Cape Mount County and other regions of Liberia where land conflicts continue to hinder progress.
