Saye Town Demolition Sparks Rights Alarm -STAND Accuses State Of Abuse, Warns GOL

MONROVIA – Liberia’s long-simmering land dispute crisis has once again moved to the center of national debate, following the demolition of homes in Saye Town and growing fears of further forced evictions across Montserrado County. As pressure mounts on the government to reconcile enforcement of court orders with constitutional protections and social welfare obligations, civil rights groups are warning that state-backed demolitions risk deepening inequality and instability. The Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND) has emerged as one of the most vocal critics, arguing that recent actions reflect a dangerous pattern of elite-driven land dispossession. The organization’s intervention describes the Saye Town demolition not as an isolated incident, but as part of a broader governance and justice crisis affecting poor and vulnerable Liberians.

The Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND) has strongly condemned the demolition of homes in Saye Town, describing the operation as an unlawful, state-backed exercise that threatens the safety, dignity, and land rights of poor Liberians across the country.

In a statement issued following a visit to the affected community, STAND said armed police officers carried out the demolition using what it described as a corrupted court order, warning that the action represents a dangerous weaponization of the judicial system in favor of powerful and well-connected individuals.

According to STAND, the Saye Town demolition reflects an escalating land-grab crisis that has already displaced tens of thousands of residents in Montserrado County. The organization cited communities including Stockton Creek, Sinkor–Old Road, New Port Street, Bushrod Island, Brewerville, and Congo Town as areas where repeated demolitions have triggered humanitarian emergencies.

STAND said families affected by these demolitions have been left homeless, traumatized, and without adequate state protection, raising serious concerns about the government’s responsibility to safeguard vulnerable citizens.

The organization disclosed that it has received what it described as credible information from community-based investigators indicating that similar demolition exercises may soon be extended to additional communities in Wroto Town and parts of Paynesville. STAND urged the government to immediately halt all forced evictions and adopt land reform measures that protect, rather than dispossess, vulnerable populations.

In its statement, STAND accused the administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai of failing to intervene decisively to stop what it termed a “bloody bulldozer” campaign against poor communities. The group argued that silence or inaction from the highest levels of government risks signaling tolerance for abuses committed against citizens.

STAND further criticized former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s reported endorsement of demolition exercises, describing it as a continuation of policies that displaced thousands of families during her administration. According to the organization, the pattern reflects a broader political culture in which state power is used to enforce elite land interests at the expense of ordinary Liberians.

While emphasizing its respect for the rule of law, STAND said it rejects what it described as the manipulation of legal processes by judges, officials, and elites to dispossess legitimate landowners. Such actions, the group warned, deepen injustice, inflame public anger, and erode trust in state institutions.

The organization called on affected communities to resist illegal evictions peacefully and within the confines of the law, while reaffirming its commitment to nonviolent resistance. It described the demolitions as unconstitutional and in violation of Liberia’s Land Rights Act of 2018, as well as Articles 20(a) and 22(a) of the Constitution.

STAND also cited Liberia’s international obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and United Nations guidelines on forced evictions, arguing that the Saye Town demolition breaches these commitments.

In solidarity with the displaced residents, STAND announced plans to deploy civil rights advocates and community organizers to assist affected families in protecting their land and pursuing legal remedies. The group also appealed to local and international humanitarian organizations to provide urgent assistance to residents now lacking shelter, food, water, and healthcare.

Describing the Saye Town demolition as unlawful, unconstitutional, and intolerable, STAND said it is preparing further legal action and direct engagement with affected communities. The organization warned that failure to address the land crisis could push Liberia toward deeper social instability, adding that the defense of land rights is inseparable from the defense of constitutional governance.