N'tene Terra Project supports land delimitation in Guinea Bissau

Bissau - To support the implementation of the Land Law in Guinea Bissau, the N'tene Terra project, carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with support from the Government and financing from the European Union, organized a series of activities on land delimitation between February and March. In total, 12 communities were delimited by the regional brigades in the different regions and sectors of Guinea-Bissau.

The initiative aims to make the citizens of the local communities aware of their rights and obligations to guarantee peaceful coexistence and, therefore, peace and stability, an indispensable condition for harmonious development.

The fundamental mission of this work is to protect the communities' rights over land and other natural resources and promote inclusive economic development through the valorization of natural resources.

The inhabitants of the Sintchã Mandje village in the Bafata sector welcomed the community land delimitation works under the N'tene Terra project.

Mariama Seidi, 29 years old, said that in her tabanca there is no record of major problems in terms of dividing the border with neighboring tabancas, as happens in several localities.

However, she emphasizes the importance of the delimitation work because, according to her, it will undoubtedly prevent possible conflicts over land ownership and management.   

The community representatives proposed to the N'tene Terra project the placement of reinforced concrete pillars in the already delimited localities to avoid the reappearance of conflicts.  

The first and second phases of community land delimitation took place between February and March in the regions of Bafatá, but specifically in the communities of Cansamange and Faracunda.

In a community in the Prabis Sector, according to the Cadastre and Delimitation consultant, Eng Braima Biai, there is an important tradition that was revealed at the time of a boundary dispute between the different communities in the Prabis Sector.

"On the border between the community of Blunde and Cumura (belonging to the paper ethnic group), in case of a land dispute, a chicken is sacrificed to prove the true holder of the land. One of the parties did not agree with the ritual practiced because it was aware of what the sacrifice represents for the papel ethnic group. And given the role of tradition in the life of the papel ethnic group, one of the parties that were disputing the possession of the land immediately agreed with the decision," said Braima.  

In the Cacheu region, the lands of the Tchocmon and Nhanbalan communities were delimited, respectively in the Bula and São Domingos Sectors. In the Oio region, the experts delimited the lands of the communities of Maquê in the Bissorã Sector and Colicunda in the Manson Sector.

The third phase of the delimitation work of the community lands was carried out between March 23 and 29 in Bafata, Bigene, Farm, Monaco, Formosa, and Quinhamel.

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Contact
Fatima Tchuma
Chargée de Communication N'tene Terra Project
FAO Guinea-Bissau
[email protected]
Tel: (+245) 955402906