Rwanda facing land 'time bomb'

2004-04-01 22:43

Kigali - As the world prepares to focus on the tenth anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda another threat to the future of this martyred central African country is beginning to take shape: the fight for land.

Rwanda, already one of the most densely populated countries on the continent, is facing a population explosion that could result in precious agricultural land - still the basis of the economy and society - running out.

Over 90% of the country's eight million people are farmers and stock breeders. But the amount of land available is finite and sooner or later some people are going to be left without a plot of land, and therefore without a living.

"It's a time bomb," said a Rwandan observer, who did not wish to be named.

The scarcity of land was both a source of tension which led to the 1994 genocide and a pretext to convince people to take part in the massacres.

In the space of three months in 1994 up to one million people, mostly Tutsis but also moderate Hutus who were opposed to the slaughter, were killed, according to the Rwandan authorities.

"Family planning should be the top priority but nothing is done to put a brake on demographic growth," said the observer.

The birth rate in Rwanda has been rising exponentially for decades, as in many African countries.

If it continues to grow at the current annual rate of 3% the population will have doubled by 2020. The consequences could be disastrous in this small, mountainous country which already squeezes in 310 inhabitants per square kilometre.

The lack of space has been a challenge to the authorities in Rwanda for decades.

Hutu extremists began forcing huge numbers of Tutsis off their lands and into exile as early as the late 1950s, and stopped them from returning after claiming that Rwanda was not "big enough for everyone".

In 1994 the authorities who planned the genocide encouraged Hutu farmers to take part in the killing by hinting that land belonging to their Tutsi neighbours could pass to them if they were to die.

"If the population keeps on growing, the violence could break out again," the observer said.

At present over two thirds of complaints received by the Rwandan League for the promotion and defence of Human Rights (Liprodhor) concern land.

- AFP