The Status of Customary Land Rights in Africa Today

Abstract

"The purpose of this brief is to offer a fairly precise picture as to the national law status of customary land rights in Sub-Saharan Africa today (2011). This is done by analysing what current laws say about such interests in 35 Sub-Saharan states. Because the vast majority of the customary domain is in fact composed of lands by tradition owned and used collectively (forests, rangelands, marshlands), this brief also pays special attention to what current land laws say about their tenure."