Reconciling Custom, State and Local Livelihoods: Decentralised Land Management in South Kivu (DRC)

Abstract

There is an extensive body of literature that analyses the link between natural resources and conflict, whether referring to internal conflicts (see e.g. Collier, 2007; Ross, 2004; Lujala, 2009) or to conflicts at the international level (see e.g. Klare, 2001). In the context of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the role of mineral resources in the subsequent waves of violence has been widely documented (UN Panel of Experts, 2002; Olsson and Fors, 2004; Ezekiel, 2007; Garrett et alii, 2009). Little is known, however, about the role of land disputes in the subsequent conflicts that have plagued the region. Nonetheless, land is of crucial importance to the Congolese economy, with the agricultural sector contributing 41 per cent to overall GDP (2007 figures, World Bank, 2009). In addition, it is the most crucial asset for the livelihood strategies of the rural population (amounting to 66 per cent of the Congolese population; 2008 figures, World Bank, 2009).