Efforts by the Liberian Government aimed at finding an amicable solution to the land dispute between Bomi and Gbarpolu Counties has commenced with the launch of an official inquiry over the rightful ownership of the area.

Both counties have over the last few months intensified claims of ownership of the Sawmill town (duly known as Yombo), which is said to be a border town between the two counties.

The dispute which has lasted over a decade ignited following the creation of Gbarpolu County over a decade ago.

Gbarpolu is a combination of Gbarma and Bopolu statutory districts, both from Bomi County and lower Lofa County respectively. Bomi was once part of Montserrado County.

The tension has built up in recent weeks after the National Legislature passed a Joint Resolution in stead of constitutionally setting a threshold as instrument for apportionment of seats in the 53rd National Legislature.

Last Saturday, a government investigative panel headed by the Deputy Minister for Planning and Research at the Ministry of Internal Affairs Peter Karmeh, visited the area and held hours of discussions with the people of the two counties who explained that the area belong to them.

On the delegation were Co-chair of the Land Commission Walter Wisner; former Justice Minister and Deputy Speaker, now a commissioner at the Land Commission Cllr. Eddington Varmah, a commissioner of the National Elections Commission Ansumana Koroma, Assistant Internal Affairs Minister for Research and Planning Alison Bacco, and Mr. George Miller, Assistant Minister for Lands, Mines and Energy, among others.

Members of both counties' legislative caucuses were also present, which included Senators Theodore Momoh and Daniel Nateen of Gbarpolu County and Representative Tarnue Cooper of Bomi County.

The investigative panel requested the two counties to designate five representatives each of whom separately took at least 30 minutes to justify their claims over the disputed area.

Mr. Bacco, serving as Master of Ceremony at the event which was held at the Yombo Town Public School told the people that the matter was delicate and threatens peace and development, especially in the area.

He said the delegation, the government in particular, was very interested in finding an amicable and lasting solution to the situation.

"We come to solicit your views, facts and messages from leaders for an amicable solution to this problem," the junior minister said, before appealing to both rival groups for the sake of their new generations to "say nothing but the truth".

He praised them for holding their peace so far and said the committee has been in close contact with the heads and caucuses of both counties, Bomi and Gbarpolu, as regards to the "burning issue".

First to take the stand, Bomi County Representative Tarnue Cooper, on behalf of his kinsmen, questioned the investigating board whether Saturday's meeting was a continuation of previous meetings held at the Internal Affairs Ministry in Monrovia.

He said during that meeting, a map was displayed (to indicate in which county the disputed area belongs) and such he was with the conviction that the matter was over. The Lawmaker requested that the same map be made available to settle the dispute, because it contains the relevant boundary.

But in response, Mr Wisner noted that that the town hall meeting involving county officials and elders of the area was necessary to ascertain the facts.

Mr. Wisner said, despite that particular conference, they have to go into the in depth of the identical problem until it is finally resolved.

The oldest spokesperson for Bomi County, Moima Jah, a former Clan Chief, through an interpreter, gave a vivid history of the area in Gola.

He made reference to President Braclay's visit in 1938, when he slept in one of Liberia's traditional towns, Bessao, in Bomi County.

He said before the President entered Bessao, a cannon was fired in Vincent Town (commonly called Cannon Hill), where Mahell River is located, serving as a boundary, then between Lower Lofa and Bomi.

He said this event took place during the the Karnga War.

He said the town in question had been part of Bomi since then and demanded the people from Gbarpolu to produce documents to prove otherwise.

According to him, the main dispute started in 1977, when a man planted a flag (he did not identify) by the creek called Mahell, which sparked out controversy.

The septuagenarian queried why the two groups were fussing when they are in fact intermarried and speak the same tribes: Gola, Belleh, Vai and Mende.

According to residents of the area, the Mahell River was reportedly the boundary between Lofa and Bomi Counties until Gbarma and Bopolu statutory districts (then Lower Lofa County) broke away to gain a county status: Gbarpolu.

The area bering disputed is across the Mahell River, a phenomena that has allegedly compelled the people of Gbarpolu to claim the area since they argue it was first part of Lofa which they broke way from.

On the other hand, one of the most prominent citizens of Gbarpolu County, 108-year-old Chief Jallah Lone, testified that President William Tubman visited them in Bopolu with seven paramount chiefs at which time the citizens of Bomi complained about the problem in Gbarma.

He said the President then designated the seven chiefs including Zinah Gbarma, Momoh Saybah, Duannah Johnson, among others to go to Sawmill to investigate the complain.

Chief Lone said after the Chiefs' probe, it was ruled that that the Sawmill area (now being disputed) belongs to Gbarma (which is now part of Gbarpolu County).

Chief Lone disclosed that the road to the area was constructed by former Public Works Minister Gabriel Tucker and that President William Tolbert was welcomed at the same creek (Mahell) by Gbarpolu Citizens with no one from Bomi County pr5esent. That alone, he said, signifies that the area is for them: Gbarpolu citizens.

Though he did not deny the existence of intermarriages between the two peoples, Chief Lone said the Sawmill area, where he personally worked, belongs to Gbarpolu as well as the police station and clinic in the town.

He promised that they will present documents in due course to substantiate their claims.

A one time Provisional Clerk in 1954, Mr. Abraham T. Itoka, claimed that they the citizens of Gbarpolu constructed the road from Sawmill to Gbarma without the help of any one from Bomi.

Moreover, another citizen identified as Sammy Gola revealed that the school yard where the meeting was being held was owned by Oldman William and the site was even cleared by them, citizens of Gbarpolu.

According to him, his parents narrated that the boundary between the two counties are rocks naturally lined up towards the same Marhell River.

Chief Lone, then, indicated that the burden of proof lies on Bomi to produce documents to prove their claims because they from Gbapolu have vivid history of the disputed area.

Bomi Representative Cooper, again, demanded the investigating committee to produce the originals maps of the nine original counties of Liberia before the creation of the two counties.

Making remarks on behalf of his county Senator Daniel Natien from Gbarpolu said they appreciated the committee's effort and that both counties are one.

Representative Cooper added that 'We are one and unity's our goal'.

In conclusion Mr. Wisner admitted that 'our lands are full of problems' and noted that there ten similar inter-county land conflicts in the country, such as Bomi-Montserrsado, Rivercess-Sinoe, Cape Mount-Montserrado, and Montserrado- Margibi, among others.

Mr. Wisner thanked all of those who attended the meeting.

For his part, Deputy Minister Karmeh also thanked all with special reference to Chief Lone and Oldman Jah for the insightful information.

He warned the citizens, especially leaders of the counties, to stop disseminating information that are not correct, urging them to speak like leaders.

Meanwhile, citizens of both counties were given a week, up to September 5, 2010 to produce all necessary documents and vital information to substantiate their claims.

Land dispute has become a serious phenomenon in post war Liberia, leading to bloody clashes and deaths, aw well as threatening the country's nursling peace.

Some time last year about fifteen people in Margibi County were brutally murdered in a land dispute which raised both international and national concerns.