Property
Land reform of 1983 abolishing traditional tenure in favour of state grants
Ordonnance n° 83-127 declared land the property of the nation and abolished the traditional tenure system, providing for individual concessions. Implementation in the Senegal River valley displaced Afro-Mauritanian farming communities and remains contested.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Walis grant concessions; the Tribunal de wilaya hears land disputes.
- Deadline — Concession application: to the wali, with a probationary period before definitive grant
- Deadline — Definitive title: granted after demonstrated development of the parcel
Governing law
- Ordonnance n° 83-127 du 5 juin 1983 portant réorganisation foncière et domaniale
- Décret n° 2000-089 portant application de l'ordonnance foncière
In practice
The 1983 land ordinance is inseparable from Mauritania's ethnic politics. By abolishing traditional collective tenure and requiring individual application for concessions, it enabled reallocation of fertile Senegal River valley land during the period in which tens of thousands of Afro-Mauritanians were expelled in 1989-1990. Restitution for returnees remains an unresolved grievance.