Resolving Land Ownership Disputes in a Post-Conflict Society: The Case of The Republic of Burundi

This paper investigates the legal and political dimensions of land conflicts in Burundi, in a post-conflict context, looking at the role of the judiciary, transitional institutions and politics in influencing outcomes. The study arises from an interest in how the issue of land conflicts, given its complexity, and sensitivity, can be handled in a just and fair manner. Land disputes are often among the most difficult cases to judge, not only because of the interests involved in gaining control and access to land, but because of political legacies of violent conflicts in the past. These interests are seen to operate in Burundi’s case, and some examples are examined in this study. Academically, the relevance of this study centers on three key points: the legal dimensions of land property, the human rights constraints in relation to the problem of land dispute resolution, and the question of what improved practices might look like. This study is based on the hope that some, however modest, lessons could be learned in Burundi in terms of how experiences of ethnic problem from the past affect political options of land dispute resolution for the future.