Land conflicts

The definition adopted for land conflicts includes territorial conflicts and conflicts over the use of mineral and forest resources. Three types of violent land conflicts are identified and analysed for West Africa: agro-pastoral conflicts, inter-communal agrarian struggles, and forest frontier conflicts. Policy and judicial administration weaknesses appear to be the main risk factors. Climate change does not appear to be a possible driver of conflict, and in West Africa few violent conflicts are linked to expropriation and enclosure. However, current large-scale land acquisition without supervision is a pressing challenge for countries and regional organisations.