This study looks at the problems of land acquisition in the DRC from pre-colonial times to date and shows that the indigenous peoples (peuples autochtones) 10 have been dispossessed of the lands they inhabited in the past. Part I provides a historical overview of the main legislative developments and also briefly addresses the reform of the land tenure system which has been taking place since 2002. Part II describes the constitutional guarantees and international instruments relating to the protection of land rights of indigenous peoples that are applicable in the DRC.