-President Boakai Sides with the Military Leaving No Hope for 72nd Eviction Victims
By Jerromie S. Walters
PAYNESVILLE, Liberia – Hundreds of civilians facing imminent eviction from the 72nd Military Barracks and a portion of its domain have been left without hope for assistance after President Joseph Nyuma Boakai firmly endorsed the army’s reclamation of the land.
Addressing the media on Thursday, President Boakai stated the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) were right to clear civilians from the Ramrod Military Barracks, also known as the 72nd Barracks. “The Army people know their boundaries and they know what land belongs to them,” President Boakai said. “God is not making new lands… the soldiers are entitled to their place.”
The President’s comments directly respond to pleas for help from the evicted residents. Those residents, many of whom say they have lived on the land for decades, were forcibly removed by AFL soldiers on Monday, January 19. The military action followed a 14-day evacuation notice that expired on Tuesday, February 3.
Speaking to journalists on that Tuesday, the displaced families described being left homeless and without resources. They appealed to the government for compensation or a resettlement plan to help them find new homes and restart their lives.
Among them is Madam Frances Yonger Morsay, owner of the Help Yourself Business Center, who broke down in tears while pleading for justice. Morsay, who has operated her business on the land for a decade, asserts she was never informed it belonged to the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL).
She claims to have acquired the land from a family with deeds dating back to the 1970s, prior to Liberia’s civil conflict, and has invested over US $500,000. The family currently resides in the USA and has requested two weeks to return to address the situation—a request the AFL appears unwilling to accommodate. Considering this, she and the others have since called on the government to reconsider, especially those who legally acquired their properties.
President Boakai’s statements on Thursday, however, offered no such commitment. Instead, he framed the eviction as a necessary restoration of military property and a key part of broader barracks renovations. He emphasized that improving military welfare and national security required the land’s return.
Days ago, Montserrado County District #5 Representative Priscillia A. Cooper expressed deep disappointment with the House of Representatives’ handling of a potential mass eviction crisis affecting her constituents near Camp Ramrod. The controversy erupted during the Tuesday, February 3, 2026, legislative session when a formal communication from Rep. Cooper, seeking clarity on the urgent situation, was effectively dismissed without substantive debate.
Rep. Cooper’s request had called on the plenary to invite officials from the Ministry of National Defense to explain the circumstances and legal basis for the planned removal of residents. Her goal, she argued, was to ensure due process and prevent a humanitarian crisis. In her letter to Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon, dated January 28, 2026, she highlighted the growing anxieties among constituents in District #5 who legally acquired properties near the barracks through official documentation.
“Concerns have been raised by several constituents… regarding their occupancy of lands in the vicinity of Camp Ramrod, which they claim to have acquired legally through legitimate documentation,” Rep. Cooper stated in her letter. “These residents have expressed fears of possible displacement.”
The lawmaker emphasized the broader implications of the issue, linking it directly to peace, stability, and the protection of property rights in Liberia. She argued that an official briefing from the Ministry of National Defense is essential to ensure transparency, protect citizens’ rights, and foster dialogue between affected communities and the government.
“If granted, this request will greatly assist the Legislature in ensuring transparency, protecting the rights of citizens, and fostering constructive dialogue,” Rep. Cooper noted. However, the process derailed when Bong County District #4 Representative Robert F. Womba moved to send the matter to a committee—the standard procedural channel. His motion was immediately met with vocal opposition from multiple lawmakers who insisted the issue’s gravity warranted immediate discussion in full plenary.
Despite the motion never being formally concluded or seconded, House Speaker Richard N. Koon declared it accepted, effectively sidestepping a plenary debate and referring the issue to an unspecified committee. This abrupt decision sparked immediate and vocal objections from several legislators on the floor.
Following the session, Representative Priscillia A. Cooper voiced her dissatisfaction to journalists:
“If we want to exercise eminent domain, there are steps to follow. I am saying ‘we’ because I am a part of government. If those places are not for them, there are also steps to follow. Even if someone is on your land illegally, restore some dignity. Don’t just jack them off and remove them from the barracks. Today is the last day, so I brought this letter to the floor so we can call those people involved,” she said.
Cooper noted the sensitivity of involving security agencies: “I understand this is a sensitive issue, so I wasn’t requesting that they come for open plenary… we run on committees in this House. Call them in a committee room; let’s understand the plight of our people. It’s very essential, and to just dismiss it like that, I am so disappointed. I’m really disappointed.”
However, on Thursday, February 5, 2026, Speaker Koon stated that the matter would be handled by the House’s leadership on Monday. This disclosure came hours ahead of the President’s comments on the same day. In an official press statement dated January 23, 2026, the Ministry of National Defense reiterated its call for the immediate evacuation of all illegal occupants from the barracks. The Ministry encouraged civilians “currently within and around the barracks unlawfully to respectfully but firmly evacuate” within fourteen days, effective Monday, January 19, 2026.
During this period, the AFL Engineering Battalion is erecting physical barricades to demarcate its property. The public, particularly those squatting in the area, is urged to remain calm, cooperate, and use marked exit routes, with assurances that no personal belongings will be confiscated and no action will be taken against those who comply peacefully.
The AFL claims that Camp Ramrod has been illegally occupied since the end of the Liberian Civil War, and all prior efforts to reclaim the property have been unsuccessful. According to the Ministry, the occupation has severely constrained the AFL’s ability to rehabilitate the facility and expand accommodations for new recruits and operational units.
The Ministry further stated that since early 2024, it has held multiple engagements with the occupants’ leadership and formally communicated the requirement for voluntary evacuation. A written four-month notice to vacate was also issued in May 2025.
“Despite these engagements and ample notice, the occupants remain within the barracks,” the release noted. Out of the 37 acres allegedly occupied, the AFL now has access to only 13 acres earmarked for renovations.
