NGO adds spark to address land disputes

The recently concluded land registration process was a great feat for the Rwandan people as they now have documents to prove the wealth they posses.However, based on recent studies, there is a lot more that still needs to be done to address the disturbing number of land-related conflicts that have not only broken up families, but also led to violent crimes.According to a report by a local NGO, the Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Development, at least 85 per cent of the land disputes in the country involve land already registered under the Land Tenure Regularisation Programme (LTRP).The study showed that the disputes are fuelled by land titles as residents become more aware of the market value of land.“Nearly half (49 per cent) of these disputes are over land parcels that are one hectare or less. Less than 16 per cent of land under disputes was obtained through sale. Most disputed land is not obtained on the market because land remains deeply entrenched in other domains of life, namely the family,” the report said.Sixty per cent of all disputes are classified as inner-family or intra-family, and that 77 per cent of people interviewed during the study said they were not aware of the existing laws that would address their disputes.The report was released last month in Kigali during a consultative meeting by RISD and the umbrella of local human rights organisations in Rwanda, known by its French acronym CLADHO.The research was conducted under the auspices of the civil society through the project, “Securing Land Rights: a civil society contribution to the effectiveness of Rwanda land reform.”Perception to addressDuring the study, questionnaires were given to a sample of 927 people with open land-related conflicts, as RISD tracked the disputes over a two-year time period (2010-2012) through records of local mediators.It documented 6,717 land disputes. “Land, for most rural Rwandans, is much more than a source of food production or a store of value. It is a sense of belonging, a symbolic relationship between people, and a quickly disappearing resource for social reproduction. These conceptions of land must be addressed to sustain the land regularisation process,” said Annie Kairaba, the director of RISD, adding that understanding the source of land disputes requires understanding how land is perceived and defined by its users.RISD is implementing a three-year (2012-2015) project on securing land rights. The project that was launched in Muhanga District is funded by the Netherlands to a tune of Rwf674 million.Other partners include the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA), the Ministry of Justice, Ombudsman’s office and the National University of Rwanda.The project looks to identifying and documenting existing land-related claims, do thorough assessment, build the capacity of local mediators and local leaders to effectively engage in the implementation of the land reforms. It also seeks to increase the awareness of community members’ land rights through awareness campaigns, with specific outreach in 10 distrcts: Nyaruguru, Muhanga, and Kamonyi, (Southern Province); Karongi and Rubavu (Western Province); Musanze (Northern Province); Kirehe and Kayonza (Eastern Province); and Gasabo and Kicukiro (City of Kigali).Kairaba said the land question in Rwanda is sustainably addressed through partnership to minimise corruption and to achieve sustainable peace and economic development.“LTRP is intended to address land related disputes by strengthening tenure security, end gender injustice and increase investment in land as a contribution to economic poverty reduction,” she said.Murder over landKairaba said a technical system for community and local leaders in terms of language and processes, and not being able to effectively address inter and intra family land disputes are among some of the challenges of LTRP.Shedding light on land rights and conflict in the 10 districts, senior superintendent Masasu Mugengangabo said Southern Province has the highest incidence of land-related crimes, followed by the central region.Mugengangabo attributed land conflicts on insufficient land to be shared among family members, polygamy, lack of wills, children born out of wedlock, and resistance on gender equality.He said factors such as valuation policy of land, demographic growth and the decisions delayed on land disputes, are other factors that need to be urgently addressed, if land-related disputes are to be tackled effectively.“Local authorities should take serious and appropriate actions similar to the Gacaca model,” Mugengangabo said, adding that the establishment of special courts to solve land disputes would be a big step in the right direction.Parliament is in the final stages of approving the land use Bill.