Entrapment or Freedom

Introduction Customary land tenure arrangements in Africa have enlivened and sustained the role of customary leaders and authority patterns in Sub-Saharan Africa long after they would have otherwise faded into disuse. Because the allocation and control of land has meaning that extends beyond the cultural realm and into the economic and political, those who control it are assured an important role in the social and political hierarchy of a community. The role of customary authority in Sub-Saharan Africa is tied to the colonial experience and to the decisions of colonial officials to create separate categories of land rights and authority structures for citizens and subjects. Where colonization did not occur, as in Ethiopia, we do not see the same significant role played by customary leaders in land administration systems or even in conflict resolution. Thus, property rights and authority are intimately connected throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.