Land, Conflict and Livelihoods in the Great Lakes Region: Testing Policies to the Limit

December 2004
Chris Huggins, Prisca Kamungi, Joan Kariuki, Herman Musahara, Johnstone Summit Oketch, Koen Vlassenroot, Judi W. Wakhungu (African Centre for Technology Studies Ecopolicy 14)

Covers (1) Land as a source of conflict in Africa – the multi-dimensional nature of land issues; indirect causes of conflict, land access and structural poverty; interactions between customary and state-managed tenure systems; historical injustices and land disputes. (2) Land rights during conflict – population displacement; land as a sustaining factor in conflict; land rights of women, children and marginalized communities. (3) Land access in the post-conflict context – repatriation and restitution of property after conflict; support for dispute resolution mechanisms; addressing different kinds of land rights; policy making in post-conflict situations. (4) Conclusions and recommendations.