The political economy of urban land access in eastern DRC: Between accumulation, authority fragmentation and militarisation
- Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Tom De Herdt, Prof. Dr. Christian Kamala Kaghoma, Prof. Dr. Tim Soens
- Date: Wednesday 3 December 2025, 4:00 pm CEST
- Venue: UAntwerp City Campus - Room s.K 201 - Kleine Kauwenberg 14, 2000 Antwerp
This thesis examines how war and rapid urbanisation reshape land rights in eastern DR Congo. In cities like Goma and Bukavu, conflict and fast-paced growth disrupt spatial, political, economic and social structures, turning urban space into a site of competing authorities, fragmented governance and escalating struggles over land.
Rising demand for residential and commercial land has intensified competition, driven up land values and fuelled both formal and informal marketisation. Through comparative quantitative analysis and three in-depth qualitative case studies, the research uncovers how access to land is shaped by identity narratives, fragmented public authority, speculative markets and militarisation.
Using access theory, the dissertation identifies key mechanisms through which actors convert access into benefits—ranging from claims of autochthony and connections to state institutions, to financial capacity, market knowledge and the threat or use of violence. These dynamics enable land grabs, rent extraction and political gains, while reinforcing alliances between state officials, military actors and private elites.
The study situates these processes within broader debates on primitive accumulation, showing how conflict-affected cities become important sites of wealth accumulation even without broader economic transformation. It argues that urban land struggles in eastern DRC reveal emerging proto-capitalist dynamics and rising rentier classes. As land reform debates grow across Africa, the thesis highlights the need to recognise how powerful actors benefit from the existing system—an essential consideration for meaningful policy change.