ABSTRACT

Land disputes in conflict-affected settings are often considered as a security threat, to be addressed through mediation and strengthening the rule of law. This overlooks the roots of land conflicts in longer-term processes of agrarian development and worsening conditions of land and labour access. A case-study of a dispute between former plantation labourers and concession holders in eastern DR Congo shows mediation's incapacity to counter perceived structural injustices in land access and difficulties in making a living. While dispute resolution may temporarily calm down tensions, it cannot substitute for fundamental political choices vis-a-vis wider questions of agrarian development and justice.

摘要

受冲突影响环境中的土地纠纷通常被视为安全威胁，需要通过调解和加强法治加以解决。这忽略了长期农业发展过程中土地冲突的根源以及土地和劳动力获取条件的恶化。刚果民主共和国东部前种植园工人和特许权持有人之间的纠纷案例研究表明，调解无法应对土地获取方面的结构性不公正和谋生困难。虽然争端解决可能会暂时缓和紧张局势，但它不能替代针对更广泛的农业发展和正义问题的基本政治选择。