“We are not getting our benefits” Citizens of Zogeipa Complains on Nimba Reserve Operation in the Area

By: Laymah Kollie

Nimba Countt: Residents of Zogeipa have expressed dissatisfaction in the operation of East Nimba Nature Reserve in the community. The community dwellers attributed their disenchantment to Nimba Reserve’s inability to live up to its portion of the commitment. As per the agreement, East Nimba Nature Reserve (ENNR) is to create alternative livelihood programs for citizens around Mount Nimba for their sustainability while dwellers preserve, protect and guide the forest. These livelihood programs includes: youth empowerment, lowland farming, education and poultry.

According to the citizens of Zogeipa, the inability of the Reserve to live up to its commitment is causing hardship for them. This situation is heavily contributing to difficulties in fending for their families as they largely rely on farming for sustainability.

“They said they were bringing agriculture, animal raising, swamp planning, and upland garden, provide education for youth of the communities but none has been done. We used to hunt animals to send our kids to schools but now nobody is going in the forest”, 35 years old Junior Paye said.

Expressing his frustration, 76 years old Samuel Zarwolo said he hasn’t been able to have another form of livelihood since they were prevented from entering the forest because his life solely depends on hunting animals for survival. “Oldman like me I used to hunt but I’m not hunting now, I’m just passing around the town” he said.

Also, Jerry Saye Jr. Youth Chairman of the Town explaining his disappointment said “the forest that government took from us here the main benefits the community supposed to get they are not getting it. The government is not paying attention to us. The place people were making farm was taken from them and now they are not getting the benefits”.

Another young man in the area, Prince stating his dissatisfaction pointed out how they have lost family inheritance like cocoa and other cash crops in the process. For a young man who didn’t get formal education, life is extremely difficult to cater for himself and family.
“The FDA making suffering worst for us because some of us didn’t go to school we sustain ourselves in the forest. Our parents and grandparents planted crops for us and these crops left behind the FDA boundary line. They told us to not go there and there is no benefit for us” he explained.

East Nimba Nature Reserve (ENNR) is located at North- eastern Central Liberia with a total area of 13, 500 hectares or 337,500 acres. It was established by an Act of Legislature in 2003. A co- management agreement was also signed between Forestry Development Authority and three communities bordering the reserve such as Sehyi, Gba, and Zor in 2013. The management plan is the first for ENNR and covers a period of five years. The Act has a clear mandate for the Protection of Conservation Area.

The co-management agreement with the communities of the reserve basic goal and specific objective is to ensure a collaborative protection and management of the reserve with involvement of the local; this approach is working well at the three communities level and has strengthened awareness and education in the area in view of its status as a Key Biodiversity Area, an Alliance for Zero Extinction site, an Important Bird Area. There is also a Tri-National Agreement with Cote d’ iviore and Guinea.
According to UNESCO, The Reserve is characterized by a composition of natural ecosystems evolving from several ecological and geo- physical processes that have resulted in the creation of many habitat types such as montane gallery forest, secondary thickets, or woody grass land, secondary hill forests, moist evergreen forest, swamp or wetter secondary forests covering Guinea and Cote D’voire. As a result of the diverse vegetative uniqueness of the site, accommodation is provided for many species of conservation relevance that are endemic to the Liberian side of the mountain which are either threatened or endangered under IUCN status such as the Nimba toad ( Nimbaphrynoides occidentalis liberiensis), Nimba otter shrew ( Micropotamogale lamottei) ( Endangered), Nimba flycatcher (Malaenornis annaamarulae) (Vulnerable) African Swallow-tail butterfly (Papilio antimachus) and the endangered Chimpanzees (Pantroglodytes verus) which are famous for their distinctive tool use repertoire. Also adding credit to the site is its biodiversity potential, form, and array of endemic and threatened fauna. The site is currently considered to be the richest forest domain of the country; particularly, in terms of rarity and endemic species composition. The other side of Mount Nimba in Guinea and Ivory Coast is already designated as a World Heritage Site.

However, Mr. Jerry Yonmah, Technical Manager for Conservation at the Forestry Development Authority of Liberia in response to the citizen’s claim said there has been some level of intervention by government and partners in the area. The manager named PapFor Project as one of the partners activities carried out in the conservation community. In his statement, the residents have not been strategic enough in maintaining and sustaining alternative livelihood programs that has been executed in their villages.
“There has been lot of intervention but the lack of strategic plan and sustaining livelihood opportunities have been a problem. The issue is the lack of initiative on the part of the Community. Project comes and end. You have to have a determined mind to help yourself. You got to make efforts and that’s what missing in the Community”, he said.