Monrovia, Feb. 3 -- The Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) has announced the closure of the historic Palm Grove Cemetery as a waste disposal site, following years of neglect that turned the burial ground into a garbage dumping site and a haven for criminals.

For years, successive administrations at the MCC have failed to restore the cemetery's dignity, allowing it to fall into disrepair. Established in the early 1820s, Palm Grove Cemetery is Liberia's oldest burial site, holding the remains of many prominent citizens. Notably, the cemetery hosts the mass grave of slain President William R. Tolbert and scores of government officials murdered during the 1980 coup.

However, in recent years, it has become notorious for being a refuge for crimi...