STRENGTHENING LAND TENURE AND PROPERTY RIGHTS IN ANGOLA

Since its independence in 1975, and most notably in the last decade, Angola has struggled to create a legal framework adequate to address the complex issues relating to the country’s land. In 2004, the country enacted a new land law1 that sought to strengthen perceived areas of weakness in prior legislation. The new law delineated and expanded a range of land rights available by concession and recognized some measure of traditional land rights. In 2006, the Government of Angola (GoA)2 proposed regulations addressing the land concessions portions of the land law, providing some detail on land rights formalization procedures, and expanding its expropriation authority.3 The regulations await enactment.