A campaign group, Global Witness, has raised an alarm over the forceful acquisition of land from owners in Liberia.
According to Reuters, the group, which has called for a government investigation, says communities in Liberia are being pressured to sign away their land to make way for palm oil plantations and Liberians have been beaten and arrested for refusing.
Palm oil is a cornerstone of the nation’s development and the country is emerging as a new frontier market for what has become the world’s cheapest oil.
In 2010, the Liberian Government had agreed to lease the company alleged to be behind the forced deals, Golden Viroleum (GVL), 544,000 acres of land for over 60 years.
However, GVL is said to have dramatically expanded its operations in Liberia at the height of the Ebola outbreak in 2014, clearing thousands of acres of land while community support groups were busy dealing with the crisis.
In reaction, GVL said it only signed pre-existing agreements during the outbreak.
