Land and conflicts in south Togo

This work analyses the relation that the inhabitants of south-western Togo entertained with land throughout the last century. It explores how modes of access to, and appropriation of, land changed over time following the rise and decline of cocoa economy, the emergence of land market and the policies implemented by central governments. Moreover, via the analyses of land conflicts held by local chieftaincies, this work highlights the plurality of strategies activated by people to reinforce or contest land claims. It argues that land conflict management is the crucial arena for the renegotiation of the legitimacy of the local social and political authorities.