Land Reform, Peacebuilding and the ‘Indigenous’ Question in Africa: The Promise and Perils of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (Chapter in "Rethinking Land Reform in Africa: New Ideas, Opportunities and Challenges")
Publisher: African Natural Resources Centre
Author(s): Matthew I. Mitchell
Date: 2020
Topics: Governance, Land
In recent decades, land reforms throughout the African continent have been complex, controversial and conflictual. Though widely varied in terms of its economic objectives, land reform is fundamentally political. Writing about the political dynamics surrounding land tenure reform in Africa, Boone (2007, p.558) summarizes: “to reform the rules of land tenure is to redefine relationships between and within communities, and between communities and the state.” Given the continued dependence on land for many Africans’ livelihoods, there can be high political stakes involved in redefining both the rules and relationships regarding land rights.
In light of the increased number and severity of conflicts over land, there is need to consider the relationship between land reform and peacebuilding in Africa. A cursory analysis of recent conflicts reveals a number of countries that have struggled to deal with land reform in their peacebuilding agendas. Albertus and Kaplan for their part, underscore an important dimension of the link betweenland reform and peace: “Given the importance of the rural sector in many modernizing or underdeveloped states where rebellion occurs, land reform has long been cited as a potential remedy for unrest.” However, a growing body of literature identifies various ways in which land reform can undermine peace processes, fuel both socialist revolutionsand violent rebellions and generate heated debates around citizenship and belonging. In short, while land reform can provide a remedy for unrest, it can also divide and polarise communities within and against the state.