De la connaissance à la reconnaissance des droits fonciers africains endogènes

Abstract

Customary land rights are at the heart of the agrarian history of West Africa. Beyond their apparent diversity, the various systems of land tenure and ownership share a number of common features. A critical perspective on the issue shows that it is important not to misconstrue and therefore underestimate them. Customary land rights are a highly topical issue at a time when Africa is seeking to develop new tenure and ownership policies capable of addressing the challenges of peace and development. Research in the area will need to meet two requirements: first, it will need to acknowledge the legitimacy of local rights based on custom; second, it will need to recognize the need for the benefit of inventory in traditional inheritance. This paper adopts a political perspective rather than a legal or technical perspective.