The Political Economy of Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Assessing the Impact of Large-Scale Commercial Real Estate Demarcation on Indigenous Communities in Angola

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 15, No. 5, May 2024 | pp. 37–45

DOI: 10.46882/2024/GJPCS/150501

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: The Political Economy of Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Assessing the Impact of Large-Scale Commercial Real Estate Demarcation on Indigenous Communities in Angola

Authors: Sibusiso K. Khumalo¹, Jean-Louis Dupont²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Public Law, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; ²Centre de Recherches Internationales, Sciences Po, Paris, France

Abstract:
Post-conflict states frequently prioritize selling natural resource and urban land concessions to attract foreign direct investment and generate immediate tax revenues for state rebuilding projects. This paper examines the long-term socioeconomic outcomes of this development model in urbanizing Angola, evaluating how modern commercial zoning concessions impact peripheral land tenure and local community stability. Utilizing extensive spatial mapping software combined with localized household wealth surveys conducted between 2021 and 2023, we measure the structural shifts in municipal land ownership patterns. The quantitative analysis reveals that large-scale state allocations of peri-urban land to international corporate syndicates have displaced substantial numbers of smallholder families, creating deep-seated socio-economic grievances. Our regression models establish that administrative districts with high corporate land concentration show a 42% increase in localized land tenure disputes and higher relative deprivation indices. The study demonstrates that prioritizing elite-driven commercial investment without safeguarding traditional communal land rights accelerates rural-urban migration and exacerbates social polarization. We argue that sustainable post-conflict reconstruction requires establishing strict legal frameworks that protect traditional property ownership and mandate inclusive local profit-sharing.

Keywords: Political Economy; Post-Conflict Reconstruction; Real Estate Demarcation; Land Tenure; Angola; Structural Inequality

Manuscript Timeline: Received: March 12, 2022; Revised: May 28, 2022; Accepted: July 19, 2022; Published: May 20, 2024

Citation: Khumalo, S. K., & Dupont, J. L. (2024). The Political Economy of Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Assessing the Impact of Large-Scale Commercial Real Estate Demarcation on Indigenous Communities in Angola. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 15(5), 37–45. DOI: 10.46882/2024/GJPCS/150501

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