Land Policy in Africa: Central Africa Regional Assessment

81 Pages·2012·3.4 MB·English

African Union African Development Bank Economic Commission
for Africa
Land Policy in Africa:
Central Africa Regional Assessment
© AUC-ECA-AfDB Consortium, 2012
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Email: [email protected]

All rights reserved
First printing September 2012

Material in this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted. Acknowledgement is requested, together with a copy
of the publication.

Edited and designed by the ECA Publications and Conference Management Section (PCMS).
Table of Contents
Acronyms and abbreviations ............................................................................................................v
Acknowledgements ...........................................................................................................................vii
Executive Summary ...........................................................................................................................1
1. Background and rationale .............................................................................................................3
1.1. Objectives of the study ........................................................................................................................4
2. Overview of Central Africa ...........................................................................................................7
3. Key Land Issues in Central Africa.................................................................................................11
3.1. Land, forest ecosystem management and indigenous peoples’ rights ...........................................11
3.2 Land markets and land production ....................................................................................................15
3.3 Gender and access to land property ...................................................................................................16
3.4 Transnational projects, extensive works and land issues .................................................................16
3.5 Land insecurity .............................................................................................................................................17
3.6 Population, land pressure and conflicts .............................................................................................17
3.7 The issue of land control and management in coastal areas ............................................................19
3.8 Urban land issues in Central Africa .....................................................................................................20
3.9 Climate change, migration and land issues .......................................................................................21
3.10 State monopoly over land ....................................................................................................................23
3.11 Mining and hydrocarbons .................................................................................................................24
4. Experiences of Land Policy Formulation .....................................................................................27
4.1. Definition ...............................................................................................................................................27
4.2 Objectives and complexity of land policies ........................................................................................28
4.3 Overview of the context of land policy formulation ........................................................................29
Land Policy in Africa: Central Africa Regional Assessment iii
5. Implementation of Land Policies and Subsequent Reforms ........................................................33
5.1 Agencies in charge of implementation of land policies in Central Africa ......................................33
5.2 The gap between speech and reality .....................................................................................................37
5.3 Main instruments for implementing land policies ...........................................................................38
6. Progress Tracking of the Implementation of Land Policies in Central Africa ............................47
6.1 What does “progress tracking of land policies” mean? .....................................................................47
6.2 Operational framework .........................................................................................................................47
6.3 Framework for a systematic progress tracking of land policies ......................................................48
6.4 Assessment of land policies using social criteria ...............................................................................50
7. Key Land Policy Challenges in Central Africa .............................................................................53
7.1 Governance and peace ...........................................................................................................................53
7.2 Sustainable management of natural resources ...................................................................................53
7.3 The challenge of an inclusive urban co-production ..........................................................................53
7.4 Main challenges ahead ...........................................................................................................................54
8. Way Forward: Toward new land policies ......................................................................................57
Bibliography ......................................................................................................................................61
Websites .............................................................................................................................................65
Appendix 1: Terms of reference ........................................................................................................67
Regional Assessments on Land Policy Formulation Implementation in Africa ..................................67
Terms of Reference .......................................................................................................................................67
iv Land Policy in Africa: Central Africa Regional Assessment
Acronyms and abbreviations
AfDB African Development Bank
AU African Union
HG Housing Bank of Gabon
CATZU Land Distribution Commission in Urban Areas
CATU Urban Land Distribution Commission
CDD Diocesan Development Committee
CEA Economic Commission for Africa
CEMAC Economic and Monetary Commission of Central Africa
CFC Cameroon Land Bank
CNTB National Commission for Land and Properties
COMIFAC Central African Forests Commission
COREP Permanent Representatives Committee of the Executive Council
COTCO Cameroon Oil Transportation Company
CREFOGA Gabon Land Bank
CRH Compte de refinancement de l’Habitat du Gabon
DAACO Directorate of Assistance for Self-Construction
DEDTCF Directorate of Lands Registry, Stamp Duty and Land Conservation.
DPGT Rural Development and Soil Management
ECOFAC Central African Forest Ecosystems
FNH Fonds National pour l’Habitat
GCLME Regional Programme Major Maritime Ecosystems of the Guinea Current
MAETUR Urban Lands Planning Mission
MAGZI Industrial Areas Planning and Management Mission
MATUH Ministry of Planning for Lands, Urbanization and Housing
MINDAF Ministry of Lands and Real Estate Affairs
MINEF Ministry of Environment and Forests
NEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s Development
UNOID United Nations Industrial Development Organization
Land Policy in Africa: Central Africa Regional Assessment v
PANLD National Action Plan for Fight Against Desertification
PIP Provisional Priority Programme
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNEP United Nations Environment Programme
RCA Central African Republic
POS Soils Tenancy Plan
RDC Democratic Republic of Congo
SDAMVM Master plan for Planning and Valorization of Wetlands
SDAU Master plan for Planning and Urbanization
SNI Société Nationale Immobilière
SODECOTON Cotton Development Society
AU African Union
UN-Habitat United Nations Programme for Human Settlement
VRD Highways and other networks
ZAI Industrial Planning Zone
ZIC Hunting Ground
ZICGC Community-managed Hunting Ground
vi Land Policy in Africa: Central Africa Regional Assessment
Acknowledgements
This regional assessment report on land policy in Central Africa has been prepared by a team of three con-
sultants from Central Africa: Prof. Paul Tchawa (Cameroon), Prof. Lumpungu Kalambay (Democratic Re-
public of Congo), and Dr. Domitien Ndihokubwayo (Burundi) under the guidance of a steering committee
comprising the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
(ECA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), in close collaboration with the Economic Community
of Central African States (ECCAS). This report constitutes part of the AUC- ECA- AfDB Consortium to
prepare a framework and guidelines on land policy development, implementation, monitoring and evalu-
ation in Africa.
The consultants would like to express their gratitude to the AUC-ECA-AfDB consortium for entrusting the
preparation of this report to them. The views expressed herein are, however, those of the authors.
Land Policy in Africa: Central Africa Regional Assessment vii