In Africa as well as worldwide, population settlement and resettlement processes are linked to the core of today’s development agenda. This paper discusses several common characteristics and issues of involuntary resettlement processes resulting from development programs and fofers an overview of involuntary resettlement in Africa in the context of similar processes worldwide. It also provides detailed data about resettlement under World Bank-financed projects in Africa. The analysis of the World Bank’s experience in addressing involuntary resettlement in Africa, both at the policy and operational levels, provides important insights for understanding the complex socio-economic content of forced displacement and resettlement, as well as the policy dimensions of managing such processes.