Why did Liberia transfer some claimed hinterland territory to France in 1919?

In 1919, Liberia signed an agreement to transfer approximately 2,000 square miles (5,200 square km) of its claimed hinterland to France because the Liberian government was unable to exert effective authority or control over those interior regions.12

At the time, Liberia faced significant challenges in maintaining its territorial claims, as the government struggled to extend its influence beyond 20 miles (32 km) inland. This transfer was part of a long history of frontier disputes with neighboring colonial powers, including the French on the Ivory Coast and the British at Sierra Leone, which had persisted since the country's early years.12