Cameroon has a great tradition of welcoming
refugees from neighbouring countries. In the past,
this was justified by its political stability, although
punctuated by a few ups and downs, such as the
Bakassi conflict.
Inland, people were moving more because of natural
disasters (floods, droughts, etc.) and this was temporary.
From the 1970s onwards, displacements of people from
areas with permanent water deficits had also been organised
by the government to areas considered more favourable to
agriculture, with the aim of facilitating the implementation
of development projects.
Currently, Cameroon is affected by several internal and
external crises causing many displacements of populations.
These include the crisis in the Central African Republic
(CAR), Boko Haram’s repeated attacks on the Nigerian
border strip, and the political crisis in the north-west and
south-west regions of the country.
The settlement of displaced persons (IDPs and refugees)
often requires previously inhabited spaces used by the host
communities for their production activities and are governed
by both customary and modern law. The communities that
host them often live in precarious conditions themselves.
These findings, therefore, raise questions about the land
the acquisition process for the settlement of refugees and
internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the participation of
host communities in this process in Cameroon.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the legal framework
and land acquisition practices for the settlement of refugees
and internally displaced persons in relation to the land rights
of host communities. At a time when the reform of the Land
Act is underway, it is necessary to formulate proposals that
take into account the migration context created by conflicts.
Read more here
Respecting-the-land-rights-of-IDPs-vA-light_compressed-1.pdf (relufa.org)
