From resolving land disputes to agrarian justice–dealing with the structural crisis of plantation agriculture in eastern DR Congo
Land disputes in conflict-affected settings are often considered as a security threat, to be addressed through mediation and strengthening the rule of law. This overlooks the roots of land conflicts in longer-term processes of agrarian development and worsening conditions of land and labour access. A case-study of a dispute between former plantation labourers and concession holders in eastern DR Congo shows mediation's incapacity to counter perceived structural injustices in land access and difficulties in making a living. While dispute resolution may temporarily calm down tensions, it cannot substitute for fundamental political choices vis-a-vis wider questions of agrarian development and justice.
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article/Letter to editor biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects: | DR Congo, Land disputes, agrarian change, agrarian justice, mediation, peacebuilding, political economy, |
| Online Access: | https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/from-resolving-land-disputes-to-agrarian-justicedealing-with-the- |
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| Summary: | Land disputes in conflict-affected settings are often considered as a security threat, to be addressed through mediation and strengthening the rule of law. This overlooks the roots of land conflicts in longer-term processes of agrarian development and worsening conditions of land and labour access. A case-study of a dispute between former plantation labourers and concession holders in eastern DR Congo shows mediation's incapacity to counter perceived structural injustices in land access and difficulties in making a living. While dispute resolution may temporarily calm down tensions, it cannot substitute for fundamental political choices vis-a-vis wider questions of agrarian development and justice. |
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