Human Rights Watch, where there were multiple people claiming to be the village chief. In at least one village, the activist said the competing claims were between a Guéré who supported Ouattara and returned quickly from displacement; and a Guéré who supported Gbagbo and returned later.206 In these villages, the lack of clear authority undermines people’s ability to bring—and trust any resolution of—land complaints. Moreover, some villages, particularly around Bloléquin, face a clear political divide in terms of the community leaders who have returned and those who remain displaced. A Burkinabé leader in one village near the Liberian border said: “Those who are still on the other side of the river [in Liberia] are the FPI [Gbagbo’s political party], whereas those who are back in the village are RHDP [Ouattara’s political coalition].”207 A Burkinabé leader in another village stated similarly, “The bad [Guérés] are still in exile.”208 These political divisions have had repercussions in terms of land conflict. A local government official told Human Rights Watch that the Guéré village chief of a village near the Liberian border was pro-RHDP and had been directly involved in illegal sales of land owned by Guérés linked to the FPI, most of whom remain in exile.209 While politicallytinged fraud appears to have occurred in only a few villages, it is difficult to see how these village chiefs will be able to act as neutral arbiters when remaining displaced persons return home to contest these sales. Finally, residents of some villages felt their customary authorities were corrupt when dealing with land issues. Although some village chiefs accept complaints at little or no cost, victims of alleged land dispossession in other villages noted exorbitant costs to file complaints or to pay for customary authorities to investigate the parcel of land in question, saying the constant demand for money made them feel that decisions were about who paid, not who was right.210 Moreover, residents of several villages said, like in the case cited above, that customary leaders are themselves involved in illegal land sales.211 206 Human Rights Watch interview with Ivorian human rights activist, Abidjan, June 14, 2013. 207 Human Rights Watch interview with Burkinabé leader, location withheld, June 2013. 208 Human Rights Watch interview with Burkinabé leader, location withheld, June 2013. 209 Human Rights Watch interview with local government official, location and date withheld. 210 For example, Human Rights Watch interview with alleged victim of land dispossession, Bédi-Goazon, February 9, 2013. 211 Human Rights Watch interviews, western Côte d’Ivoire, February and June 2013. 71 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | OCTOBER 2013