- The opposition advocacy group Solidarity and Trust for a New Day has issued a stark warning to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, demanding an immediate end to what it describes as state-backed forced displacements tied to land "reclaim" operations, or risk nationwide peaceful resistance.
At a press conference in Monrovia on Saturday, STAND accused the Boakai administration of reviving the same land-related injustices, security force abuses and social exclusions that fueled Liberia's 14-year civil war, warning that continued demolitions could destabilize the country.
STAND Chairman Mulbah Morlu said Liberia is approaching a dangerous tipping point as communities are uprooted under what he called an aggressive and militarized land policy.
"This nation stands at a dangerous crossroads and may slip over the cliff if Boakai is not stopped," Morlu told reporters. "The entire country of suffering people now has one enemy--and that enemy, sadly, is its own president."
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Demolition Policy Under Fire
STAND said it strongly opposes the ongoing demolition campaign, which it argues has now been fully assumed by the government following President Boakai's public instruction to officials and the Armed Forces of Liberia to "take lands" said to belong to the state.
The group warned that if the policy continues, it will mobilize displaced citizens across the country to engage in mass peaceful resistance, including actions aimed at politically isolating the president.
Morlu said the demolitions cannot be dismissed as isolated land disputes but represent a deliberate policy choice with dangerous historical echoes.
"History is repeating itself; not by accident, but by policy, pronouncement and deliberate state action," he said.
Remarks at 72nd Barracks Cited
STAND sharply criticized President Boakai's recent remarks during the land dispute in the 72nd Barracks area, where the president was quoted as saying the army would return to reclaim land allegedly belonging to the state.
According to Morlu, that statement crossed a red line.
"When President Boakai declared that 'the army will come back to take their land,' he legitimized state violence against vulnerable citizens and normalized forced displacement under the reckless banner of 'public land,"' he said.
Morlu said the message to ordinary Liberians was unmistakable: that their homes were temporary, their lives disposable, and the state an imminent threat.
Allegations of Militarization
The STAND chairman also questioned the presence of soldiers in the 72nd area, alleging political motives tied to the 2029 elections. He claimed the deployment reflected a broader strategy to consolidate power rather than resolve land disputes.
"This is not just about land," Morlu said. "It is about power--economic power first, then political power."
The group provided no evidence for the election-related claims, and the government has not publicly responded to the allegations.
Communities Affected Nationwide
STAND said demolitions and evictions are affecting communities across Monrovia and beyond, including Stockton Creek, New Port Street, Bushrod Island, Saye Town, Catholic Community, Wroto Town, Old Road, Mat Estate, Paynesville, Somalia Drive and parts of rural Liberia.
"This is not development. This is not reform. This is class warfare enforced by the state," the organization said in its statement.
STAND further alleged that politically connected individuals are exploiting weak land records, a compromised judiciary and forged deeds to dispossess poor communities, while government silence has emboldened land grabbing.
Legal and Humanitarian Concerns
Morlu said the administration's call for ministries and agencies to reclaim all government land ignores Liberia's flawed land registry, the destruction of records during the civil war, and international human rights standards governing evictions.
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He warned that mass displacement without due process, compensation or resettlement risks creating a humanitarian crisis.
"Instead of healing war wounds, this government is reopening them with bulldozers and boots," he said.
Call for Peaceful Action
Framing the situation as a moral and constitutional failure, STAND accused the Boakai administration of abandoning its campaign promises of national rescue and reconciliation.
"A government elected on promises of rescue has chosen repression," Morlu said.
The group called on market women, youth organizations, students, trade unions, civil servants, faith leaders, rural communities and the Liberian diaspora to unite in peaceful resistance.
"Let there be no violence," STAND said, "but let there be no surrender."
As of publication, the government had not issued a formal response to STAND's statements or demands.
