The Transition from Agricultural Land to Nzila Village in the Commune of Bimbo in Bangui in the Central African Republic

Agricultural land near large cities is undergoing unprecedented changes across the world. The land resources suitable for agriculture in Nzila village, in the commune of Bimbo near the city of Bangui are no exception. The objective of this study is to analyze the transition that agricultural land is undergoing in the Nzila village in the face of the phenomenon of urbanization. It makes it possible to diagnose the causes and consequences of this transformation on the food security of rural and urban populations. Analytical and descriptive methods are used to carry out this study. A survey of 60 people based on a series of interviews and questionnaires made it possible to collect the field data contained in this work. According to this survey, 78.33% of people recognize that agricultural land in Nzila has undergone a transition due to urbanization. In 2008, this agricultural area was selected for the establishment of industries. This project came to fruition in 2010 with the construction of a cement plant in Nzila by an Indian company. This cement plant occupies a large part of the 10 hectares to the detriment of the first occupants of the area. The subdivision of the entire Laurent-Bois sector in 2012, by the land registry services, took place in plantations of cassava, yams and plantains, and corn, leading to uprisings among the victims. Farmers are forced to free up this agricultural space to cross beyond 1 kilometer, to the Trandia village opposite to cultivate, while the others have left 54 km away due to the transformation of the village into an industrial zone. The anarchic occupation of land for the construction of housing has negative effects on peri-urban agricultural land, that is to say without notice from the land registry services or town planning services following the urbanization of the certain peripheral districts of Bangui. This situation will push farmers to seek or move very far from the city in search of agricultural land. The State is involved in the disappearance of peri-urban agricultural land south of the city of Bangui through its subdivisions. He expropriates farmers from their agricultural land by forcing them to go 30 km, very far, to make way for him. In the Central African Republic, the State has the power to expropriate and evict a natural or legal person from land.