LONDON (Reuters) - The British government launched a 20 million pound programme in Rwanda Wednesday to help resolve disputes over property rights and set up the country's first database on land ownership.
Resentment over unequal land distribution contributed to the tensions that led to the 1994 genocide which killed more than 800,000 people.
"For the first time, men and women in Rwanda will be able to defend their land rights through the law courts, giving them the peace of mind to invest in their farms and build their businesses," International Development Minister Mike Foster said in a statement.
The project, which should be completed by 2014 and follows a 3-1/2-year pilot programme, will allow landowners to prove their ownership so they can obtain loans and legally pass on their land to their children.
In a 2006 agreement with Rwanda, Britain said it would give at least 46 million pounds in development assistance annually over 10 years, including help for land reform.
(Reporting by Olesya Dmitracova)
