ABSTRACT
The significant role that land rights and land use plays in armed conflict scenarios is nearly pervasive. Particularly the case in today’s intrastate conflicts, the intersection between land rights/use and conflict is so close because both are spatial endeavors. Regardless of the cause, goal, or conduct of armed conflict, prevailing over one’s opponent is about gaining control over spatial locations and areas, which is also the foundation of land rights and land use. This chapter examines some of the more important aspects of this interaction. Following a general introduction to the topic, the primary components of land rights/use that contribute to conflict are described – tenure insecurity, the role of institutions, customary versus statutory land rights systems, and narratives of grievance. These components are then examined in five cases of armed conflict: Darfur, Colombia, Yemen, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
