EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: In July 2017, Democratic Party candidate Khaltmaa Battulga was elected Mongolia’s new president with 50.61% of the vote, defeating his rival Miyegombo Enkhbold from the ruling Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) who received 41.16% of the vote. Importantly, 8.23% of the voters in the second round chose the none-of-the-above option, the so-called blank ballot. Mongolians believe in democracy as a guiding general principle and vision, but they have less trust in the fairness and effectiveness of political institutions.

Nigeria’s arid North West is beset by violence between herders and farmers, which has been compounded by an explosion in criminal activity and infiltration by jihadist groups into the region. The last decade has seen thousands of people killed and hundreds of thousands displaced, with many fleeing into Niger Republic next door. State-level peace efforts with several armed factions have had some success, but these will not prove durable unless more actors lay down their weapons.

ABSTRACTED FROM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The most important event in Pakistan during the period under review was the 2018 general election. This was the third general election in a row in which rival civilian individuals and parties contested each other at the ballot box for seats in the legislatures and the chance to form a government. Moreover, it was the second consecutive transfer of power from one elected civilian government to another.

In this article, we critically review the developmental claims made for the construction of the Rampal power plant in southwestern Bangladesh, in the light of evidence about transformations of land control related to this construction project. Land has become a heavily contested resource in the salinity-intruded southwestern coastal area of Bangladesh. Changes in land control for the construction of the Rampal power plant and similar projects have intensified decades of struggles over rights and access to land.

This study is aimed to assess features of land governance arrangements in the Eastern Africa region. Comparative and qualitative research approach was employed to achieve the objectives of the study. The research was also conducted within the context of long standing research collaboration under the umbrella of the Eastern African Land Administration Network (EALAN). The Eastern African countries included in this study are those represented through respective institutions in the EALAN, namely: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

This article aims to help the governance of peri-urban land conflicts from an approach focused on the control of urban sprawl, which is the paramount characteristic of Yamoussoukro, the political Capital City of Côte d'Ivoire. The study starts with a prospective approach to this phenomenon to identify prospects for a sustainable conflict resolution. It therefore comes within the framework of the quest for a spatial cohesion to lead to social cohesion that is today undermined by a rampant urbanization.

ABSTRACTED FROM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: In the period from 2017 to 2019, Tajikistan’s authoritarian retrenchment continued. Political institutions were monopolized by the elite after the destruction of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) in 2015, at the time the only viable political opposition party. The IRPT’s chairman went into exile, its remaining leaders were rounded up, and lawyers who acted on their behalf were also imprisoned for lengthy prison terms.

ABSTRACTED FROM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: In 2014, Afghanistan faced two major interconnected transformations. First was the withdrawal of most international troops. On January 1, 2015, the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces officially took over full defense and security related responsibilities in Afghanistan. Second was the first transition of power through elections in the history of the country. In light of the withdrawal of international troops, the new Afghan government was supposed to focus on developing effective policies related to military, economic and security aspects.

ABSTRACTED FROM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The 2017 to 2018 period in Uzbekistan gave rise to a feeling of relief among the population. With the death of the first president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, in September 2016 and the election of Shavkat Mirziyoyev as new president in December 2016, the so-called post-Soviet transition period had come to an end. The new president managed to create a new image as the leader of the country and as a reformer.

Despite an inflow of investment in rural communities, there are concerns about negative impacts on local people’s livelihoods, access to farming land, productivity, income levels, food security and access to social services. The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) research partnership assessed the impact and benefits of large-scale investments in the agricultural sector on livelihoods of smallholder farmers using two case studies. Evidence from this project suggests that the large-scale investments increased the income of surrounding communities.

The Horn of Africa has seen its fair share of natural resource conflicts among and between competing pastoralists communities. The conflicts hitherto associated with men, ignored women pastoralists’ role in the same conflict. Using an existing data and an open-ended qualitative approach the study sought answers on the role of women pastoralists in conflict in the horn of Africa. Results show that women have a hand in conflict either by offering active or passive support. The review takes note that women’s involvement in conflict has evolved to peace-building.

De nos jours, lorsque l’on parle de la République Démocratique du Congo (RDC), on entend souvent parler du problème démocratique ainsi que des conflits meurtriers qui ont lieu dans certaines régions notamment du Kasaï ou des Kivus. Les journaux expliquent souvent ces violences en faisant référence à des conflits ethniques et fonciers qui constituent le quotidien des congolais depuis des dizaines d’années.