Côte d’Ivoire reports 4,396 land conflicts in nine months

Côte d’Ivoire recorded 4,396 land conflicts between January and September 2026, according to Interior and Security Minister Diomandé Vagondo. These disputes have impacted 2,319 villages, representing approximately 26% of the country's villages. The conflicts have resulted in 16 deaths.

The Guémon and Tonkpi regions in the west are the primary hotspots, accounting for roughly 35% of the total national conflicts. On average, authorities receive 12 land conflict reports per day. These disputes range from private or family disagreements to larger community tensions involving territorial boundaries, natural resource exploitation, or conflicts between farmers and herders.

While 2,276 of the recorded disputes have been resolved through mediation and administrative intervention, the persistence of these issues is attributed to increasing pressure on agricultural land due to demographic growth, a lack of understanding regarding rural land laws, and unresolved family successions or boundary disputes.