Land Governance, Land Insecurity and Local Development in Rural Senoufo Areas: A Sociological Analysis of the Localities of Diawala and Nielle in Northern Côte d'IVOIRE

The issue of land is one of the main challenges facing rural development in Côte d’Ivoire. In the neighbouring localities of Diawala and Niélé, situated in the department of Ouangolodougou in the north of the country, land disputes have emerged. This has led to land insecurity which is evident in violent conflicts between communities. This article aims at analysing the social underpinnings of this land insecurity in the localities of Diawala and Niélé in northern Côte d’Ivoire. The study carried out with a qualitative approach based on semistructured interviews, focus groups, direct observation and desk research. The interviews, conducted between March and April 2024, involved administrative and traditional authorities, heads of local land management bodies, landowners, farmers, community leaders and individuals who had been victims of or witnesses to land conflicts. A total of 26 interviews were conducted,13 per locality, comprising 20 in-depth individual interviews and 6 focus groups. Max Weber’s theory of understanding and Boudon’s theory of the perverse effect were drawn upon. The results indicate that disagreements over the territorial demarcation system between the two localities were at the root of the land disputes.