Communal Land Rights and Peace-Building in North Kordofan: Policy and Legislative Challenges

Land policies are of fundamental importance to the wellbeing of and the economic opportunities open to rural people, good governance, and peaceful coexistence. Therefore, land policy and analysis of specific interventions relating to land have increasingly come up on the urgent agenda of academic and research institutions, international donors and civil society organisations (Bruce and Migot-Adholla, 1994; Lane and Moorehead, 1995; Toulmin and Quan eds., 2000; Benjaminsen and Lund eds., 2002; Cotula, 2002; DFID, 2002; World Bank, 2003; ACTS/CISDL/UNDP, 2003; ECA, 2004; Rugadya, 2005; Babiker, 2005). However, critics maintain that discussions on land policies are often characterised by preconceived notions and ideological viewpoints rather than by careful analysis of the reality on the ground (Bates, 1984; Booth, 1985; Leach and Mearns, 1996; Babiker, 1998). This in turn has limited the scope for land legislation reform and by implications undermined the potential contribution of land policies to peace-building. As a result, the research findings have remained largely academic and not always been disseminated in a format comprehendible to policymakers and other key stakeholders.