Land disputes and local conflict resolution mechanisms in Burundi

Over the year 2004, CED-CARITAS has been assisting the return of Burundian refugees and accompanied their reinsertion in their original communities. The progressive return of refugees accentuates the already existing pressure on agricultural land. Convinced that the question of land property is a key factor for sustainable peace, the Catholic Church of Burundi would like to start a project for ‘accompanying the peace process and reinsertion of victims in Burundi through the identification of land properties in dispute’. The first phase of the project consists of an identification and analysis of disputed land properties, to provide precise information on the nature and magnitude of the actually existing disputes about land. This research is meant to help decision takers in defining strategies for the prevention and peaceful resolution of disputes arising from the return of refugees. Hence, in cooperation with the Commission Episcopal Justice & Paix and its sub-offices in the communities, CED-Caritas has conducted a quantitative enquiry to identify all land problems and disputes existing in the different parishes of Burundi