The Ivorian Human Rights Association (RAIDH) last Friday in Séguéla, North-West of Cote d’Ivoire, organized a workshop to explain the 23 Dec. 1998 Act on Rural Land, reports Agence Ivoirienne de Presse.

Targeting community leaders of Séguéla, the workshop provided information regarding the bases of land ownership rule which now states that only Ivorian nationals are to own a land. The rule is however beneficial to only those who have their deeds regularized.

“The rule, adopted in January 1999, recognizes customary rights which must be made formal through the acquisition of a land certificate, a document that grants temporary ownership of a land to its holder and leads after a period of three years to the issuance of a permanent deed. Only this document shows true ownership of a given property,” states the Press Agency.

The main speaker at the session, Yapi Geoffroy Alelis recalled that Ivorian landlords have until 2023 to register their rural lands, otherwise they will be considered as unoccupied.

Souha Touré