International Development Law Organization

Burundi

English

Burundi is a densely populated, land locked country in Central Africa, and one of the world's poorest nations due to decades of civil unrest, and political and economic instability. The majority of the Burundian economy is agriculture (45% of the GDP) which supports 90% of the labor force. However, in recent years the country has experienced a drastic contraction of its subsistence economy due to civil war and degradation of land through over population and use, therefore continuing the nation’s heavy reliance on bilateral and multilateral aid. 

As the country has moved from war to peace in relatively recent times, it faces complex issues including national and local levels of governance and legislation requiring drastic reform and improvement to strengthen the rights and livelihoods of Burundian citizens – especially women. The large number of displaced peoples within the country, and the mass migration of the population through civil war (much of which is now returning) has produced land ownership disputes and conflict.

IDLO, in partnership with the funding organization Stichting ZOA, commenced a research project in June 2015 to determine the impact of Land Tenure Registration on land disputes and women’s land rights.

IDLO Director-General, Jan Beagle's Statement at the Joint Conference of the East African Chief Justices’ forum and the East African Judicial Education Committee

Statement by the Director-General, Jan Beagle at the Joint Conference of the East African Chief Justices’ Forum and the East African Judicial Education Committee

Honourable Chief Justices,

Members of the East African Judiciaries,

Distinguished Guests,

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Key Initiatives

  • ​In June 2015, IDLO commenced the project: Researching the Impact of Land Tenure Registration on Land Disputes and Women’s Land Rights in Burundi. Land Tenure Registration (LTR) programs involve issuing proof of ownership to holders of land rights to increase their legal certainty. Such programs are undertaken for a variety of reasons. While much is known about the impact of LTR on factors like access to credit and agricultural output, there is a gap in knowledge of its impact on land disputes, particularly in post-conflict settings.
  • In Burundi, land tenure registration is the primary way for the government to deal with the large number of land disputes across the country. A series of pilot programs aimed at resolving land rights issues have been initiated in recent years. To date, however, it is unclear whether these pilot programs have had their intended effect of reducing the number of land disputes.
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