- As Residents Threaten 2029 Election Boycott

The Forestry Development Authority (FDA) has intervened in a longstanding forest dispute in Boe-Quilla Administrative District, Nimba County, following threats by residents to boycott the 2029 elections over alleged encroachment on their farmlands.

FDA Deputy Managing Director for Administration and Finance Victor Kpaiseh called for calm during a town hall meeting in Marley Town on Friday, November 6, assuring residents that the authority was working to address their concerns.

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Residents accused a group identified as the Bokina-Bees of occupying portions of a disputed forest from which local farmers have been restricted since 2016.

They claimed the FDA prohibited farming activities pending a new forest demarcation but failed to provide alternative farmland, leaving families struggling with poverty and food insecurity.

Several women complained that while local residents were barred from farming, the Bokina-Bees were allegedly occupying portions of the same forest.

They called on the FDA to revisit the 1952 forest demarcation to distinguish protected areas from traditional community farmlands.

Responding, Kpaiseh urged residents to cooperate with the authority and identify individuals allegedly responsible for facilitating the occupation of the disputed forest.

Meanwhile, the FDA has deployed three forest rangers to investigate the allegations and recommend appropriate action.

Residents insist that resolving the dispute must include access to farmland, clarification of forest boundaries, and protection of their livelihoods.