Thirty-two prefectural officials of the Tonkpi and Guemon regions on Thursday 8 May 2014 took part in a workshop on the judicial treatment of land disputes initiated by the Legal Clinic in Man and jointly sponsored by the European Union, the UN Development Program, the UN Children's Fund and the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire.



Thirty-two prefectural officials of the Tonkpi and Guemon regions on Thursday 8 May 2014 took part in a workshop on the judicial treatment of land disputes initiated by the Legal Clinic in Man and jointly sponsored by the European Union, the UN Development Program, the UN Children's Fund and the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire

According to the judge, the slogan has led to the scramble for rural lands and its attendant disputes and inter-communal conflicts. "This situation is disturbing in the sense that failure to provide solutions to persons seeking redress has led to recriminations and personal vengeance which compromise government efforts towards reconstruction, social cohesion and national reconciliation. It is therefore urgent to find solutions adapted to the situation with a view to making our justice system an essential link in the land dispute settlement process; an actor of a lasting social peace," Mr. Desailly said.



He made some recommendations for a better management of land disputes including the harmonization by magistrates of the interpretation of the land law of December 1998, to specify the legal validity and the weight of settlements carried out by administrative and traditional authorities. Mr. Desailly proposed a more rapid judicial procedure notably in the conduct of investigations, limiting adjournments, the rendering of decisions of the state within a reasonable lapse of time and assistance to parties in the execution of court rulings.

The pretrial judge made some recommendations to government calling for certain provisions of the rural land law by incorporating elements of customary law, the elaboration of a landed property code regarding urban lands, set up a national policy regarding the identification of rural lands in the customary domain in view of obtaining land certificates, the reduction of legal costs to ensure access to justice, the fight against fraud in the delivery of land certificates.