How do you clear customary rights on a plot of land?
Procedure by which customary rights of village communities over land are extinguished in favor of the State or a private party, in exchange for compensation. It is a mandatory prerequisite to land registration.
Definition complete
Why Purge Is Mandatory
In Ivory Coast, a large portion of land is subject to customary rights. Before these properties can be registered, these traditional rights must be extinguished — this is the purge.
How It Works (Decree No. 2019-266)
- Identification of customary rights holders by the CVGFR (Village Committee for Rural Land Management)
- Land survey conducted by sworn inquiry commissioners
- Negotiation and determination of compensation
- Payment of compensation
- Purge Report signed by all parties and the CVGFR
- Validation by the sub-prefecture
Role of the CVGFR
The CVGFR plays a central role in the purge: it identifies customary rights holders, participates in land delimitation, and attempts mediation in case of disputes (one-month deadline).
Exemple concret
For the Azaguie subdivision, the village community received compensation of 3,000 FCFA/m² for the extinguishment of customary rights. The extinguishment report was signed by the village chief, family heads, and validated by the sub-prefect.
Sources juridiques
Loi n°98-750 du 23 décembre 1998 (modifiée en 2004 et 2013). Décret n°2019-266 du 27 mars 2019 (abroge le Décret n°99-594 du 13 octobre 1999).
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Autres termes du glossaire
The ADU (Attestation de Droit d'Usage Coutumier / Customary Right of Use Certificate) is the single, secure document that replaces the former Village Certificate as of January 1, 2025. Established by Decree No. 2021-784 and secured by the SIGFU (Decree No. 2021-862), it requires a triple signature (village chief, CVGFR president, developer) and a unique IDUFCI. The ADU is not a property title: it constitutes a provisional recognition opening the path to the ACD (Arrêté de Concession Définitive / Definitive Concession Decree) — the ACD published in the Land Register IS the Land Title. In practice, the time between ACD signature and its publication in the Land Register is often longer than the official 180 calendar days (BÂTIR N°004, 2022). Published ACD = published Land Title — same legal deed, two stages.
The Rural Land Agency (AFOR — Agence Foncière Rurale) is the public institution responsible for implementing rural land policy in Ivory Coast. It oversees land certification, registration of rural properties, and coordination of boundary demarcation and surveying operations.
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