-A True Narrative Behind the Redlight Muslim/Mosque Conflict
In April 2018, Batune Kieta sued Mamade M. Kamara, including all those occupying his late father’s (Mohammed Tanja Keita) property in the Paynesville Red Light community, a place involving the current Muslim/mosque heated conflict.
During the dispute, the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) stepped in and conducted two surveys, which provided evidence that Bantune Kieta’s father (Mohamed) actually owned the disputed land. He therefore requested the court, through an action of Ejectment, to remove Mamade Kamara and all those occupying the land.
According to reports, Mohamed and Mamade were two close friends in the early 80s who bought two separate plots of land adjacent to each other. Mohamed traveled out of the country when the Liberian Civil War erupted, and he left a copy of his land deed with his friend (Mamade). He later died, leaving his son (Bantue Kieta) to seek justice for his late father’s property.
Bantue Kieta discovered that his father’s land was encroached upon by Mamade Kamara, who also denied the allegation. The trial jury confirmed the survey reports and brought a unanimous verdict in favor of Bantue Kieta and ordered Mamade and all persons under his control to be evicted from the land, a piece which also includes the mosque.
IS THERE ANY LAW TO BACK THIS? YES!!!!
The lower court ruled in accordance with the Civil Procedure law, Rev. Code 1:62.1, which states, “Any person who is rightfully entitled to the possession of real property may bring an Action of Ejectment against any person who wrongfully withholds possession thereof. Such an action may be brought when title to real property as well as right to possession thereof, is disputed”.
However, Kamara announced an appeal to the Supreme Court at the time Her Honor Sie-A-Nyene G. Youh was the Chief Justice. The full Bench ruled again, affirming the lower court judgment ordering Bantue Keita to take possession of his father’s property and evicting Mamade and all other persons from the land, including the disputed mosque.
FOR CLARITY, BOTH MEN ARE MUSLIMS
Interestingly, both parties (Muslim), it is the enforcement of this judgment that has been challenged by some relatives of Kamara and some members of the Muslim community mosque worshipers who built on the property and refused to adhere to the court’s enforcement, terming it a “Muslim and Christian conflict,” while at the same time BLAMING THE CURRENT CHIEF JUSTICE GBEISAY.
BACKGROUND OF THE SAME CASE SCENARIO
The Supreme Court, in recent times, without fear or favor, also ordered the enforcement in the case involving the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) in its recent ejectment action, for which the Supreme Court judgment was held in the 2025 March Term of court, signed by all the Justices, including the former Chief Justice Her Honor Sie-A-Nyene G Youh, Associate Justice Jamesetta H. Wolokolie, Associate Justice Yussif D Kaba, Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay (current Chief Justice), and Ceaineh D. Clinton Johnson, and the judgment was rendered.
This Court again, without fear or favor to religion, passed another judgment against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2024, with three of the justices ruling against the church, including the former Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G Youh.
While in 2022, during the March Term of Court, former Chief Justice, Francis S Korkpor Sr., and three other justices to include Jamesetta H. Wolokolie, Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh, and Yussif D. Kaba, affirmed a lower court judgment in an action of ejectment for 13.704 acres of land lying and situated in the township of Congo Town
Let it be made clear that the Supreme Court, which is the final arbiter of justice, will see a fair and balanced legal judgment passed on by the lower court before taking a step to ensure that a judgment is enforced. It is a normal practice that when the opposing side wins a case at the lower court level, an appeal is taken to the Supreme Court for review.
WHAT IS THE WAY FORWARD?
The Muslim community in Liberia has a head. The law is the law. The court has ruled. I think it is about time they meet the Muslim guy who won the case and find a suitable means to settle the conflict. The Chief Justice or the Court is not to blame.
