Global land network commends Rwanda for enabling land policies - The New Times, 29.03.2012

By Edwin Musoni

The Director of the International Land Coalition (ILC), Niasse Madiodio, has said that Rwanda is currently exemplary in Africa in terms of land management and ensuring that people’s rights on land are not violated.

Madiodio made the remarks after meeting with the Minister of Natural Resources, Stanislas Kamanzi, who briefed him on the current progress in land management. 

ILC is based in Rome, Italy, with an African chapter hosted at the Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Development (RISD).

“We consider Rwanda an exemplary case in terms of political will. Other countries in Africa have very complex land management policies, but Rwanda with her historical legacy and the high population density still shines as the best on the continent,” he said.

Madiodio, who is partly in Rwanda to attend the ILC Africa chapter steering committee assembly, which takes place in Kigali this week, pointed out that land issues remain a serious matter globally.

“We are interested in learning more about the land reform process in Rwanda. It has something that we, the global coalition, can learn from. This is why we meeting with various authorities to learn more.”

He noted that the government has innovated a lot in line with proper land management which has impressed the donor community.

The Africa Coordinator of ILC, Yusuf Nsengiyumva, also commended efforts the government has invested in land management.

“Madagascar is a far bigger country than Rwanda, but reports from our recent visit there indicate that they face more land related problems than Rwanda. Rwanda has made a step further than other countries to ensure that there is no land grabbing. Land is shared equitably and the government supplies fertilisers to the people,” said Nsengiyumva.

A study conducted by Rwanda Women Network (RWN) indicate that although there were cultural hindrances in terms of land ownership among women, recent reforms have given them rights to own and inherit land.

ILC Africa – Steering Committee Meeting with Dr. Madiodio Niasse, Director ILC Secretariat, to be held in Kigali on 28.-29. March

From 28th to 29th March 2012, the members of the International Land Coalition (ILC) Africa Region Steering Committee will gather together in Stipp Hotels, Kigali for their annual steering committee meeting 2012.

The Landnet Rwanda Chapter Coordination Agency and Node for ILC Africa, Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Development (RISD), will organize the meeting, which will be of great importance for the ILC Africa Region as the Steering Committee will decide about future National Engagement Strategies (NES), next steps for regional initiatives, as for example the Land Conflict Strategy which has been developed by ILC Africa members recently, as well as the next phase for the ILC Scorecard Project, a monitoring tool designed by RISD to measure country progress regarding implementation of the Africa Land Policy Framework and Guidelines (ALPFG).

The ILC Secretariat, which is based in Rome, recognizes the importance of decentralization and has therefore launched an assessment by an international consultant on the decentralization process in Africa, which also will be exclusively discussed during the meeting.

The significance of this years steering committee meeting will be underscored by the participation of the Director of the ILC Secretariat, Dr. Madiodio Niasse, who will be visiting Rwanda for the first time. This also marks the weight of Rwanda for ILC and the relevance of land reform in Rwanda for the whole continent.

Dr. Niasse will participate in the two-day meeting and furthermore use the opportunity to strengthen the relationship with partners in Rwanda, including high-rank government officials and other relevant stakeholders in the Rwandan land sector.  

Therefore Dr. Niasse will meet the Prime Minister, Damien Habumuremyi, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MINIRENA), the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA), as well as country representatives of the European Union (EU), the Embassy of the Netherlands, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

Find an exclusive interview done by Christian Schulze with Dr. Madiodio Niasse about the ILC Africa Region, the ILC decentralization process and the Africa Land Policy Framework and Guidelines (ALPFG) below:  

Dr. Madiodio Niasse, Director ILC Secretariat

Dear Dr. Niasse, please describe which relevance does Africa have for ILC?

ILC was established 15 years ago as a coalition of civil society and intergovernmental organization, to promote secure access to land for the poor, especially the rural poor. There are three elements with this mandate which show how relevant Africa is for the ILC. One is the fact that ILC is a coalition, the primary purpose of which is to create space for civil society organizations, by connecting them together to form powerful alliances, and by linking them with international and highly influential multilateral development organizations. This goal is particularly relevant where you have weak governance and/or authoritarian regimes. Despite progress made in recent decades, the voices of the CSOs are silenced or not heard in many African countries where the political arena is still restricted. Secondly, ILC focuses on the rural poor, and as we all know, the poverty incidence in Africa and in other developing countries is highest in rural areas. Third, tenure insecurity is rampant in Africa, in many cases it is one of the biggest obstacles to developing the agricultural sector and to combating rural poverty. Promoting equitable and secure access to land can therefore be a powerful means of unleashing the productive potential of the millions of smallholder farmers and landless families of the continent.

What contribution do you see for the LandNet Rwanda Chapter coordination agency Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Development (RISD) as the ILC Africa Regional Node?

ILC is now engaged in a decentralization process by supporting members in Africa, Asia and Latin America, to build strong regional platforms. We consider this regionalization process as contributing to the Coalition’s readiness to address land governance issues on the ground. Each ILC regional platform is supported by a node coordination mechanism (a light secretariat). Each of these nodes is hosted by a member organization: ANGOC is hosting the node for Asia which is based in Manila, Philippines; CEPES is hosting the Latin America node in Lima, Peru. The Africa node is currently being hosted by RISD in Kigali, Rwanda. We are very grateful to RISD and to other members that have accepted to host the regional nodes. We are well aware that hosting a node is very demanding, with tasks ranging from human resources and administrative assistance to accounting, finance and grants management. Host organizations are also expected to play a key role in regional steering committees.  

Many observers declared the Africa Land Policy Framework and Guidelines (ALPFG) as unique milestone for the sustainable security of land tenure systems and land rights in Africa. What is special about the ALPFG and what is the ILC’s position towards the framework?

The formulation of the ALPFG is a great achievement, first for bringing back land governance as a key development priority for Africa. It is also a document of excellent quality, giving clear direction for the future, while being flexible enough to accommodate the significant regional diversities and country specificities. The ALPFG is not a document to be approved, ratified or implemented by countries. It is rather a document that raises awareness on the importance of land governance and calls on states and other relevant parties (including farmers’ organizations and CSOs) to revisit, re-examine their land policies (where they exist), and engage in open multi-stakeholder processes to strengthen their land governance frameworks. From ILC’s point of view, the ALPFG, which is endorsed by Heads of States, have the necessary legitimacy to give an entry point for engaging with governments in various country contexts, and for setting in motion multi-stakeholder process on national land governance priorities.

What is ILC’s commitment towards supporting the implementation of the ALPFG?

The ALPFG is an Africa- initiated and an Africa-led process. ILC’s ambition is to work closely with and support the Africa Land Policy Initiative by promoting national processes aimed at improving the legal and regulatory framework. We will support our members (especially farmers’ and CSOs) in their efforts to move forward the pro-poor land agenda at the national level. Essentially, we are helping popularize the ALFPG as it is necessary that the document be understood and owned by the African people. We are also exploring ways of putting in place mechanisms for monitoring progress made by countries in translating into reality the ALPFG values and aspirations principles.  We will consult with our African members and the LPI in order to identify other possible ways of supporting this important initiative.

Rwandan NGO empowering communities to solve disputes at local level

You can also find this article in the printed March-May edition and on the website of "The Eye Magazine".

By Christian Schulze

Rwanda faces various challenges related to land, but the key ones are the issues of land scarcity, combined with the high population growth, the patriarchal structures that remain strong due to the cultural setting and disputes over land rights emanating from multiple claims due to different waves of refugees caused by conflicts that have characterized the country for decades.

According to Mrs. Annie Kairaba, the director of the Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Development (RISD), strikingly 90% of community disputes are related to land, with the insecurity of land rights out of competing claims, where by one piece of land is claimed by different parties, as the main source of conflict: “The majority of these disputes are both inter and intra family which arise from unequal inheritance of land, polygamy and children born out of these illegal marriages”, Mrs. Kairaba said. Regarding the conflict potential of insecure land rights, resolution of competing land claims is central towards the achievement of sustainable peace in the country.

Therefore RISD, a Rwandan NGO focusing on building the capacities of the grassroots through effective policy research and advocacy, is implementing its Land Dispute Management Program (LDMP) to contribute towards sustainable management of land related disputes and support the ongoing land reform process in Rwanda. Since the project started in 2008, over 14,280 participants in 22 Cells benefited directly from the training and functioned as multipliers in their respective communities.

Targeting Local leaders, especially ‘Abunzi’

RISD Director Annie Kairaba handing out LDMP certificates to trained local leaders

Mrs. Kairaba said that the LDMP aims to bring information to the grassroots and therefore focuses on building the capacity of local leaders to identify, manage and resolve land related disputes promptly, fairly and peacefully: “Local leaders are addressed for making the community understand their land rights, through knowing and understanding the relevant legal provisions, because they are closely involved in the communities, understand local issues and hence can handle them quicker and better than courts”. Especial attention is therefore given to mediation as a means of dispute resolution and the ‘Abunzi’ (mediators) who face many land disputes in their daily work.

Focus on women’s land rights

For Justin Mimi, the Executive Secretary of Rwaza Sector in Musanze District who first got in contact with the LDMP when RISD was carrying out the LDMP pilot project in 2008, it is important that all residents know their land rights and subsequent land laws, but especially for women he considers it vital: “Over 90% of land disputes are related to inheritance leaving women as the prime victims”. Thus RISD specially focus on women’s land rights during training and in its public awareness campaigns and can announce that so far 48% of the trainees have been women.

LDMP design

The LDMP targets the Cell and Sector levels and is structured in 4 parts: Assessment of capacity needs of local leaders, training, public information and awareness and mentoring. During the program participants get trained in dispute management, mediation and legal provisions such as the Organic Land Law, Expropriation Law, Abunzi (Mediators), Law or Law on Matrimonial Regimes, Liberalities and Succession. Meanwhile both mass media and community based channels like drama, songs, poems and art work are used as outreach tools to inform and sensitize the communities. To provide continued support to trainees, working groups are selected form and by trainees to document disputes and how they are resolved. RISD trainers then follow up and collect data from these working groups quarterly for comparable analysis and monitoring of the ongoing land reform process.

 

Trainees learning about legal provisions during a LDMP training session

Testimonies from the ground

Mr. Mimi, who attended the RISD training courses given to local leaders in dispute management and land related legal provisions tells about his personal experience with the LDMP: “Through the specific approach of strengthening the capacity of local leaders, especially mediators and village leaders, in preventing and resolving land related disputes, RISD helped us a lot in reducing land related disputes in our Sector, which were actually very many”.

Justin Mimi in front of local leaders during the LDMP training in Rwaza Sector

People in Rwaza can now spend most of their time in agricultural activities rather than being concerned with land related disputes and going to court, which was not the case before the LDMP training. But not to forget, the LDMP has also significantly increased the awareness within the community towards vulnerable group’s land rights, especially women’s, Mr. Mimi adds: “The awareness campaigns about vulnerable group’s land rights RISD carried out through community radio call-in shows and community theatre to accompany the training in Rwaza really sensitized people on this important topic and gave voice to people who usually struggle to be heard”.

The fact that the LDMP, besides resolving land related disputes, has a big impact on increasing awareness of women’s land rights is also stressed by Mariam Dushimimana, the Vice Executive Secretary of Mbati Cell in Mugina Sector of Kamonyi District, where RISD also trained: “People were not fully aware about this particular issue, because they were lacking access to certain information. RISD helped to bridge this gap by carrying out public information and awareness campaigns focusing on women and other vulnerable groups”.

The participants are happy that the LDMP strengthened their own capacity in such a way, that they can now easily share their experience and train other community members in land related issues. Mr. Mimi says he benefited a lot from the mediation training which helps him to resolve disputes in a fair and peaceful manner and disburdens him from the land related disputes, because he has now got more time to engage in other developmental activities of the sector since after the LDMP more local leaders have got the capacity to resolve disputes: “The affected people in Rwaza now do not have to rely just on me when it comes to resolution of their land related problems any more”, he said.

Trainees performing in a role-play on land dispute during the LDMP 

For Mr. Mimi it is clear that RISD should continue the LDMP in his District and even expand to other areas of the country. Rwaza has significantly benefited from its LDMP participation and he can only advice other Sectors to also join in this programme: “Land is central for the livelihoods of the majority of Rwandans and the LDMP helps to solve problems in this very important area of our society. Thus LDMP contributes to sustainable peace and development in Rwanda and consequently should expand to as much areas as possible”.

Also Mrs. Dushimimana had very good experience with the LDMP so far and can only recommend other local leaders to participate: “They and their communities would certainly benefit from the LDMP, especially in terms of awareness on women’s land rights provided by the current laws, which still needs to be addressed clearly”.

RISD believes that the communities will benefit from this training if local leaders can manage and resolve land related disputes. This directly leads to increased tenure security, effective land registration, increased awareness of land rights and hence ultimately fights poverty.

ICCO Great Lakes sub-regional land synergy meets in Kigali to discuss progress

Since 2010, a new land dynamic called Great Lakes sub-regional land synergy was developed from an initiative of ICCO, a NGO from the Netherlands, and its partners: Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Developement from Rwanda; Association pour la Paix et les Droits de l’Homme (APDH) and Association de Coopération et de Recherche pour le Développement (ACORD) from Burundi as well as Aide et Action pour la Paix (AAP), Fédération des producteurs Agricoles du Congo (FOPAC), Innovation, Information pour le Développement et la paix (IFDP) and Forum des Amis de la Terre (FAT) from DRC. 

The synergy is lead by RISD, which is also the LandNet Rwanda Chapter coordination agnecy and through a programmatic approach, ICCO and its members from the Great Lakes have decided to develop a comprehensive regional land program which will help to share knowledge and lessons from different partners land related work experience. 

The members of this synergy will meet from 14th to 16th March in Kigali to discuss the progress in implementation of their projects in order to identify challenges and experiences.

ILC Africa - New Africa Land Conflict Management Strategy developed

From 29th February to 2nd March 2012, the members of the land conflict thematic group of the International Land Coalition (ILC) Africa region held a consultative meeting in Stipp Hotels, Kigali, to develop a 3-year land conflict management strategy for Africa.

The initiative resulted from the ILC Africa Regional meeting held in Lomé in November 2010, where the development of a regional Land Conflict Strategy was identified as a priority, given the fact that land related conflicts are still a big challenge in Africa.

During the meeting, organized by the LandNet  Rwanda Chapter coordiantion agency -Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Development (RISD) - also host of the ILC Africa Node and member of the thematic group on land conflict, participants clearly analysed the current land conflicts in the region and shared experiences on different existing land conflicts.

ILC members from different African sub-regions and with vast experience in dealing with land related conflicts, participated in this meeting: Aide et Action pour la Paix (AAP) from DRC and MBOSCUDA from Cameroon, represented the Central African sub-region, while RECONCILE and MACOFA from Kenya, APDH from Burundi and RISD from Rwanda represented the East African sub-region.

Among key common land related issues identified in this meeting, the lack of effective land administration systems and ineffective implementation of those systems was seen as major issue that can lead and catalyze land conflict. Having land reforms where there are not yet in place and effective implementation of existing policies, taking the involvement of all stake holders including communities and CSO into consideration in every step of implementation, was identified as best practice to be included in the joint strategy.

The meeting concluded that the draft 3-year strategy will be finalized and presented in the coming ILC Africa Steering Committee Meeting which is scheduled at the end of March in Kigali.This 3-year strategy will be then used to develop a comprehensive regional land conflict program for ILC Africa.

Ethiopia to adopt Rwanda’s land registration system - The New Times, 05.03.2012

Rwanda’s land registration system will serve as an example of best practice for the Ethiopian government in developing and improving its land policy, says an advisor contracted by Addis Ababa.

David W. Harris, the Chief Technical Advisor Land and Administration and Use Directorate, told The New Times this yesterday in an interview.

This was after conducting a one-week study tour of the department of Land registration at Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA), which is implementing the ongoing registration programme.

“We came to Rwanda specifically to learn from the country’s experience. Rwanda has reached an advanced stage of implementing nationwide land registration,” he said.

He said that last year another delegation from Ethiopia came to Rwanda to find out how the country had developed the registration policy and were impressed with the progress made.

“This time, we came to learn at best practice, which we can apply in Ethiopia in the coming years because we are developing a similar nationwide programme of land registration,” said Harris who led a group of 13 people.

He said that the registration methods used by Rwanda are unique, modern, efficient and cheap. He said that Ethiopia has been applying a traditional method of land registration land, using rope for measurements.

Rwanda uses the digital land registration which saves time.

“We started our five-year project last year and next month we are going to start trials in Ethiopia using similar methodology to the one used in Rwanda, using aerial photographs as the best way of mapping land parcels,” he said.

The programme of land registration coordinated by RNRA is currently underway across the country and is set to be complete by December 2013.

Article 30 of the Organic Land Law stipulates that registration of land is obligatory. It allows the owners them to get legal documents and clarify their land rights, which increases their land tenure security.

Land demarcation and adjudication is set for completion by June next year and the issuance of land titles to be completed by December 2013.

Thierry Hoza Ngoga, Division Manager, Land Technical Operations at RNRA said that it is encouraging to receive experts from other countries who want to learn from Rwanda’s land registration system.

“It’s good to hear that we meet their expectations and this is encouraging to us. So far we have received a delegation from Burundi, Botswana, Nigeria and Ethiopia who came to borrow a leaf from us,” he said.

In 2004, the government established a national land policy that guarantees a safe and stable form of land tenure. Before 2004 Rwanda never had a proper land policy.

In order to define and decide how the land registration process should be carried out, a Ministerial decree determining modalities of registration was enacted in 2008 and consequently in 2009 the land registration process kicked off.