State property vs. customary ownership: a comparative framework in West Africa

This article examines relations between state and customary land claims in Francophone West Africa. This region, despite a broadly common legal heritage at the time of independence, experienced a wide variety of changes at the national scale to the point where these countries now form a full spectrum of statutory/customary relations. After a historical review of rural property rights in Francophone West Africa, this article proposes a typology of State vs. Customary ownership in the region with a focus on four exemplary cases: Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal, and Mauritania.

Automated summary

This article examines the relationship between state and customary land claims in Francophone West Africa, proposing a typology and focusing on four exemplary cases. It is important for understanding the statutory and customary land relations in these countries.