Liberia: Government says Monrovia's busiest market won't be cleared after hundreds of traders march on Public Works Ministry - FrontPageAfrica

28 Oct 2026, 06:26 · FrontPageAfrica

Liberia: Government says Monrovia’s busiest market won’t be cleared after hundreds of traders march on Public Works Ministry

MONROVIA – Calm has returned to Waterside Market, one of Monrovia’s busiest trading hubs, after government officials assured traders that the market will not be cleared, a day after hundreds marched on the Ministry of Public Works fearing eviction.

The standoff began when about 15 iron selling tables were removed from the main road through the market to make way for traffic diversions during construction on Vai Town Road. Traders, many of whom depend on daily sales to feed their families, feared the move was the first step toward demolishing the entire market.

Officials have since clarified that only tables blocking the main driveway from the Vai Town Bridge will be moved, so vehicles can pass during construction expected to last until July 2027. The 15 seized tables will be returned.

“Unlike yesterday when the tension was high, at least they have calmed down because the information was not properly provided before,” Waterside Market Superintendent Roland Tuazama told FrontPageAfrica on Tuesday.

Women-led march

On Monday, scores of marketers, predominantly women, staged a peaceful protest in Waterside against the removal of their selling tables along a major road corridor. The protesters accused city police officers of harassment and of introducing new restrictions without consulting their leadership, local media reported. Marching toward the Public Works Ministry, they chanted, “President Boakai, we want to sell. Give us our tables.”

The disputed tables were built during the administration of former President George Weah, under then-Monrovia Mayor Jefferson T. Koijee, as part of an effort to organize trading in Waterside.

‘It was shocking’

Tuazama said market leaders had agreed to the diversion plan about two weeks earlier after a joint inspection with the police, and the arrangement went smoothly at first.

“We agreed, we cooperated. We, along with the police, inspected the place and said okay,” he said.

Tensions flared on Sunday after reports that heavy machinery had blocked all routes into the market and that tables had been removed without consulting market leaders.

“It was shocking. We had not sat down one day to discuss the tables,” Tuazama said.

The dispute was resolved at a meeting with officials of the Ministry of Public Works, the Liberia National Police and Emmanuel Dahn, the lawmaker representing the area in the House of Representatives, who intervened to calm the protesters.

“The ministers and the police explained to us that there is construction on the road … and that they need the driveway to be clear because they will be diverting traffic,” Tuazama said. “We all agreed that the driveway should be cleared so that traffic can be free. Not all of the tables, only the road on the bridge.”

He said the Public Works Ministry has agreed to carry out the plan jointly with market leaders, and traders displaced from the roadway will be moved to available space inside the market.

“Development is coming. We all accepted it,” he said.

Tuazama called for better coordination among the ministry, the police and market leaders to avoid future clashes, stressing that traders need timely information when decisions affect their livelihoods.

“We and the police are friends; we work together. But sometimes we can have differences,” he said. “All parties concerned should work together so that there will be no hostility.”

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Liberia: Government says Monrovia's busiest market won't be cleared after hundreds of traders march on Public Works Ministry - FrontPageAfrica