The Political Economy of Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Assessing the Impact of Commercial Forestry Concessions on Indigenous Dispossession in Liberia

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 12, No. 5, May 2021 | pp. 37–45

DOI: 10.46882/2021/GJPCS/120501

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: The Political Economy of Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Assessing the Impact of Commercial Forestry Concessions on Indigenous Dispossession in Liberia

Authors: Sibusiso K. Khumalo¹, Elena Rostova²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Public Law, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; ²Department of International Relations, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom

Abstract:
Post-conflict states frequently prioritize selling natural resource concessions to attract foreign direct investment and generate immediate tax revenues for state rebuilding projects. This paper examines the long-term socioeconomic outcomes of this economic strategy in post-war Liberia, evaluating how large-scale commercial timber contracts affect traditional indigenous land holdings and community stability. Utilizing extensive agrarian mapping applications combined with localized household wealth indicators collected between 2018 and 2020, we measure structural shifts in forest land ownership. The quantitative analysis reveals that state allocations of dense forest concessions to foreign timber corporations have displaced substantial numbers of indigenous families, creating deep-seated socio-economic grievances. Our regression models establish that rural districts with high logging concession concentration show a 42% increase in localized land use disputes and lower relative deprivation metrics. The study demonstrates that prioritizing elite-driven commercial investment without protecting traditional communal land tenure accelerates rural displacement. We argue that sustainable post-conflict reconstruction requires establishing independent land tribunals that enforce communal property protections.

Keywords: Political Economy; Forestry Concessions; Liberia; Indigenous Dispossession; Land Tenure; Structural Inequality

Manuscript Timeline: Received: February 15, 2020; Revised: May 12, 2020; Accepted: July 05, 2020; Published: May 20, 2021

Citation: Khumalo, S. K., & Rostova, E. (2021). The Political Economy of Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Assessing the Impact of Commercial Forestry Concessions on Indigenous Dispossession in Liberia. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 12(5), 37–45. DOI: 10.46882/2021/GJPCS/120501

Subscribe to read the full article: https://internationalscholarsjournals.org/subscribe-to-read