Post-war peacebuilding for development in Ganta City, Liberia

Abstract

Ganta City, with a population of about 62,000 and located approximately 200 miles from Monrovia, is a post-war multi-ethnic community entangled in inter-ethnic land disputes attributable to the roles played and the sides supported by the various ethnic groups during the Liberian civil wars from 1989 to 2003. These land disputes are about returning Mandingo refugees claiming that their parcels of land have been occupied by people from the Dan and Mah ethnic groups. This situation has undermined tranquillity and harmony in the city, fractured relationships, and is retarding progress and development. This situation needs to be resolved to ensure peace and tranquillity amongst the Dan, Mah, and Mandingo people, as well as the other residents in this major business hub outside Monrovia in Liberia. The Government of Liberia has applied two major efforts to resolve the issues. These efforts and the courts have resolved some of the issues, but they have not restored peace and improved the relationships among those ethnic groups. As a result, the peace in Ganta City is fragile, with underlying conflicts owing to the lack of genuine efforts to repair the broken relations. Based on the above, I used an action research approach and qualitative research methodology to collect qualitative data from eight focus groups, between twenty-five to fifty interviews, and at least ten observations. I analysed the same using thematic analysis, with the specific objectives of measuring the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of the land disputes in Ganta City. My research participants and I examined the issues around the inter-ethnic land conflict in the city, and I used the theoretical framework of conflict transformation including peacebuilding, indigenous knowledge, and the asset-based approach to community development to resolve the conflicts and improve the relationships among the three ethnic groups. I experimented with the local peace committee concept and formed an action committee that has implemented a peacebuilding intervention to resolve the local conflicts and promote peaceful coexistence. The overarching aim of my research has been to contribute to communal harmony, resulting in sustainable community development in the post-conflict multi-ethnic Ganta City. A locally driven peacebuilding mechanism has been used to contribute to the peacefulness of the city. The local peace structure that has been created has worked on improving the relationships among the three ethnic groups. The relationships have improved, and the foundation necessary for peace has been laid to address the conflictual issues surrounding the land disputes in Ganta City.