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Cameroon
Françafrique is France's colonial system across French speaking Africa, using military and economic power to bully countries into submission for the benefit of the French economy. The French train African police and military in the use of torture, following the cultural dictates so evident in Indochina and Algeria. Cameroon is a key part of this system. Cameroon can be viewed as part of the French system of white supremacy, anchored in Republican ideals that were perverted in 1870 and used by the 3rd Republic to justify colonial ventures as part of a republican civilizing mission ("mission civilizatrice"). Review of La guerre du Cameroun: L’invention de la Françafrique 12/17/2020 Leeds: "In his preface to the book under review, philosopher and theorist Achille Mbembe, states (p. 3) that the book is “irreplaceable”. I would agree, as indeed, this work is critical for the understanding not just of Cameroun, but of contemporary Africa. It takes as its focus the war that occurred in this country, and allows to grasp the complex relation tying the French colonial administration with the post-colonial state. This “independent” Cameroon epitomizes the ally state controlled by France, as elsewhere in the pré carré. The book also sheds light on the resistance of an African population. Furthermore, its publication observes acutely the process of decolonization, and challenges the hitherto dominant narrative of a peaceful transition occurring in francophone Africa. Now, the book is particularly welcome because its decolonial gaze, strengthened by a sound knowledge of the objective conditions of decolonization, is required to get a good sense of the situation in the Western World." Camerún
Françafrique es el sistema colonial de Francia
en la África francófona, que utiliza el poder militar y económico para
intimidar a los países y someterlos en beneficio de la economía francesa.
Los franceses entrenan a policías y militares africanos en el uso de la
tortura, siguiendo los dictados culturales tan evidentes en Indochina y
Argelia. Camerún es una parte clave de este sistema. |
La FrançAfrique: Senegal’s French Problem 3/24/2021 AAPRP: "Sixty years
after independence, Senegal remains a country owned, stolen, and controlled by
France. The hotels, the roads, the gas stations, the supermarkets, the Wi-Fi,
the phone services, the television provider, the port, the military base, the
currency. Meanwhile, the United States operates with its military command, U.S.
Africa Command (AFRICOM), firmly anchored on African soil. In addition to the
rapid expansion of US military forces in Africa over the past decade, France
remains an imperial power across the African continent."
Review of La guerre du Cameroun: L’invention de la Françafrique 12/17/2020 Leeds: "In
his preface to the book under review, philosopher and theorist Achille Mbembe,
states (p. 3) that the book is “irreplaceable”. I would agree, as indeed, this
work is critical for the understanding not just of Cameroun, but of contemporary
Africa. It takes as its focus the war that occurred in this country, and allows
to grasp the complex relation tying the French colonial administration with the
post-colonial state. This “independent” Cameroon epitomizes the ally state
controlled by France, as elsewhere in the pré carré. The book also sheds light
on the resistance of an African population. Furthermore, its publication
observes acutely the process of decolonization, and challenges the hitherto
dominant narrative of a peaceful transition occurring in francophone Africa.
Now, the book is particularly welcome because its decolonial gaze, strengthened
by a sound knowledge of the objective conditions of decolonization, is required
to get a good sense of the situation in the Western World."
The unfinished business between Cameroon and France 3/15/2017 Africa is a
Country: "In January this year, Cameroonian President Paul Biya (in office since
1982), cut off the southwest and northwest regions of the country’s access to
the internet to punish anglophone Cameroonians for protesting their linguistic,
political and economic marginalization. The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of
expression, David Kaye, called the move a violation of the right to freedom of
expression. The executive committee of the International Union of
Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences issued a statement about the situation
in Cameroon and to support the UN Special Rapporteurs’ calls on the government
to “investigate the deployment of violence against protestors and to exercise
greater restraint in policing.”"
Françafrique: The evolution of France’s interference in Africa 8/26/2015 Al
Arabiya: "President Boni Yayi, in power in Benin since 2006, only reluctantly
abandoned his hope of amending the constitution in order to seek a third term, a
decision Cameroon Pesident Paul Biya, 82, as well as his Angolan counterpart
José Eduardo dos Santos, 72, are far from considering. Both have held the reins
of power for more than 30 years, and show no desire to step down amid a gloomy
balance sheet in terms of democratic governance."
Hollande acknowledges colonial-era Cameroon massacres but critics want apology 5/7/2015 RFI: "French
President François Hollande has broken a longstanding taboo on his country’s
controversial role in the genocide of Cameroon’s Bamileke people. During the
final leg of his west African tour in Yaoundé on Friday, he admitted that French
forces had tried to quash colonial separatists in the 1950s and said he was
ready to open up the history books."
GHOSTS OF KAMERUN 9/15/2012 New Left Review: "Even today, the reality of
French involvement in large-scale conflict there in the 1950s and 60s is not
recognized by officials, who speak instead of riots, ethnic confrontations or at
most civil war. If the French counter-insurgency of 1956–71 remains largely
taboo, it is because it retains a burning actuality: the regime it established
is still very much in place."
French Colonial Past Casts Long Shadow Over Policy in Africa 4/17/2011 NYT: "Achille
Mbembé, a Cameroonian-born historian and critic of French involvement in Ivory
Coast, said that France continued to support African dictators, mentioning the
leaders of Gabon, Cameroon, Congo, Chad and Togo. He saw “a continuity in the
management of Françafrique — this system of reciprocal corruption, which, since
the end of colonial occupation, ties France to its African henchmen.”"
Monument « Mother of Humanity » : on prépare le terrain 6/2/2021 Cameroon
Tribune: "Le Minac qui a tenu à féliciter le coordonnateur et son équipe, a
promis de faire tout ce qui sera possible afin que les efforts de réalisation de
ce projet à la valeur culturelle, touristique, économique et spirituelle se
concrétisent. « Le gouvernement à travers le ministère des Arts et de la Culture
attache une importance spéciale à la réalisation de ce projet. Nous sommes
mobilisés pour contribuer au succès de ce prestigieux projet. Car ce projet
bénéficie de la très haute attention du chef de l’Etat », a rappelé le Minac. Le
projet est un monument de 97 mètres avec 55 maisons culturelles africaines et
six autres pour les pays associés au projet. A savoir, les Etats-Unis, l’Inde,
la Chine, le Brésil, l’Espagne et la France. Selon Christophe Ava, le monument «
Mother of Humanity » est un cadeau offert à toute l’Afrique, en vue de remercier
ce continent pour son rôle en tant que contributeur majeur de toutes les nations
et clé de la survie de la planète terre."
Le port autonome de kribi 3/23/2021 Data
Cameroon: "Cette vidéo est une synthèse audiovisuelle d'une enquête qui porte
sur l'évolution des activités au port autonome de Kribi."
Monument « Mother of humanity » : Préalables pour le début effectif des travaux 3/3/2021 L'Economie: "Mieux
vaut tard que jamais. Le monument « Mother of humanity » vient de marquer un
point de plus. 5 ans après l’attribution du projet de construction au Cameroun,
la première borne a été posée récemment en son site à Kribi. L’acte marque
ainsi, le début d’une longue procédure avant le lancement des travaux proprement
dit. Pour 200 millions de dollars, l’édifice va ouvrir davantage la cité
balnéaire au monde tout en renforçant son potentiel touristique avec des
retombées sur l’économie nationale. C’est en avril 2021 que le bornage du site a
été annoncé. De retour d’une mission à Kribi, Christophe Ava, coordonnateur
Afrique du projet a confié dans les colonnes de Cameroon Tribune que le projet
connaissait quelques retards."
Film Institutionnel Port
Autonome de Kribi 2021 3/3/2021 PAK - Port Autonome de Kribi: "Découvrez
les potentialités du nouveau Port en Eau Profonde de Kribi"
Review of La guerre du Cameroun: L’invention de la Françafrique 12/17/2020 Leeds: "In
his preface to the book under review, philosopher and theorist Achille Mbembe,
states (p. 3) that the book is “irreplaceable”. I would agree, as indeed, this
work is critical for the understanding not just of Cameroun, but of contemporary
Africa. It takes as its focus the war that occurred in this country, and allows
to grasp the complex relation tying the French colonial administration with the
post-colonial state. This “independent” Cameroon epitomizes the ally state
controlled by France, as elsewhere in the pré carré. The book also sheds light
on the resistance of an African population. Furthermore, its publication
observes acutely the process of decolonization, and challenges the hitherto
dominant narrative of a peaceful transition occurring in francophone Africa.
Now, the book is particularly welcome because its decolonial gaze, strengthened
by a sound knowledge of the objective conditions of decolonization, is required
to get a good sense of the situation in the Western World."
La construction de "La mère de l'humanité" prend du retard 6/29/2020 DW: "D'autre
part, nous sommes un peu frustrés parce que la déclaration d'utilité publique a
pris beaucoup d'espace aux villageois de ce côté qui n'ont déjà plus assez de
terres. Il faut avouer que le port en lui-même en avait déjà pris 26.000
hectares. Donc les populations se sentent un peu à l'étroit'', affirme Landry
Tsiaga."
U.S. wants Cameroon’s president to pull out military from south territory 12/14/2019 Guardian,
Nigeria: Unclear if this is correct. Southwestern Cameroon is Ekpe territory,
the name for Abakwa in Nigeria and Cameroon - "The United States (US) has
ordered President Paul Biya of Cameroon to “immediately and unconditionally”
pull out the military from Southern Cameroun territory. The 72-hour ultimatum
followed U.S. Congress approval, in a resolution of an Act, authorising
President Donald Trump and U.S. Department of Defence for Biya to comply. The
announcement was made, yesterday, in a YouTube video, monitored in Maiduguri,
the Borno State capital."
The Mother of Humanity : les retombées pour le Cameroun 7/9/2019 Actu
Cameroon: "Pour le ministre des Arts et de la culture, Pierre Ismaël Bidoung
Kpwatt, ce projet va attirer plus de 12 millions de visiteurs par an et créer de
nombreuses opportunités d’affaires. Une opportunité qui permettra d’accroître
l’influence du Cameroun au plan géopolitique et géostratégique. Sur le plan
culturel, en plus d’être un lieu de mémoire, ce projet entend créer une saine
émulation pour la promotion des valeurs traditionnelles africaines mais
davantage pour la valorisation du patrimoine culturelle camerounais. La
réalisation de ce projet transformera le Cameroun en terre de commémoraison des
odyssées douloureuses vécues par les africains."
Cameroon's Anglophones flee to Nigeria as crackdown grows 12/14/2017 Reuters: "When
soldiers burst into her village in southwest Cameroon last month with guns
blazing, small farmer Eta Quinta, 32, raced into the forest with three of her
children. “I found a canoe and I used it to cross over with my kids, not knowing
where my husband and my (other) two kids are,” she told Reuters across the
border in Nigeria, where thousands of English-speaking Cameroonians have fled in
past weeks."
Cameroon palm oil campaigner arrested in crackdown on activists 9/29/2017 Guardian: "A
prominent campaigner against palm oil plantations has been arrested amid a
growing crackdown on environmental and human rights activists in Cameroon,
according to local lawyers and NGOs. Nasako Besingi, who has led opposition to a
US-funded 73,000 hectare farm in a biodiverse rainforest, is among more than 100
individuals who have been detained during an escalation of tension between the
predominantly French-speaking authorities and the country’s large
English-speaking minority. Supporters of Besingi claim the authorities are using
the “anglophone crisis” to put pressure on the campaigner, who has been jailed,
threatened, and sued on several previous occasions."
Nasako Besingi arbitrarily arrested and detained incommunicado 9/29/2017 Front
Line Defenders: "On 25 September 2017, at around 6.30am, local police officers,
gendarmes and army officers entered Nasako Besingi’s office, located next to his
home, and arrested the human rights defender. The officers searched Nasako
Besingi’s office and confiscated documents, a laptop, his phone, SIM cards as
well as the human rights defender’s identity card and passport. Following the
search, Nasako Besingi was taken by car to the Gendarmerie brigade in Mundemba
but was never informed of the charges against him. Twenty minutes after his
arrival at the Gendarmerie brigade, he was seen being taken by car from the
brigade to an unknown location."
Cameroun - Institutions: Le Gouvernement bloquerait la construction du monument
de la «Mère de l’Humanité» 6/18/2017 Cameroon Info: "Le projet de monument
prévoit la construction d’un édifice géant en bronze, sur 80 hectares et 95
mètres de hauteur. Il comprendra 29 étages. L’autre volet est la construction,
dans chacun des 54 États africains, d’une maison de la culture. Le coût global
est estimé à quelque 200 millions $, soit environ 100 milliards FCFA. Les fonds
viendront des dons collectés aux États-Unis auprès des célébrités américaines du
cinéma, de la télévision, des milieux d’affaires et de la politique. «Ce
monument représente un cadeau que le peuple américain a voulu offrir aux
Africains, en guise de remerciements pour ce que l’Afrique apporte comme
contribution à la construction du monde», a dit Aveline Ava, d’origine
camerounaise, présidente d’ARK Jammers Connection, une association de droit
américain."
The unfinished business between Cameroon and France 3/15/2017 Africa is a
Country: "In January this year, Cameroonian President Paul Biya (in office since
1982), cut off the southwest and northwest regions of the country’s access to
the internet to punish anglophone Cameroonians for protesting their linguistic,
political and economic marginalization. The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of
expression, David Kaye, called the move a violation of the right to freedom of
expression. The executive committee of the International Union of
Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences issued a statement about the situation
in Cameroon and to support the UN Special Rapporteurs’ calls on the government
to “investigate the deployment of violence against protestors and to exercise
greater restraint in policing.”"
Traditional Chiefs Call for an End to Oil Palm Project on Their Lands 10/28/2016 EIA: "In
a letter sent to the President of Cameroon on October 25, 2016, Traditional
Chiefs from seven villages of the Nguti Subdivision in Cameroon, have formally
withdrawn their support to the controversial Sithe Global Sustainable Oils
Cameroon (SGSOC) project. They are requesting the President to put an end to the
company’s activities on their native lands. The 13,195 hectares of land from the
villages cover nearly two thirds of the current SGSOC land concession, which is
approximately the size of the District of Columbia (DC). According to the
Chiefs, SGSOC acquired their lands by corrupt means and did not carry out a
proper consultation process. In the years since SGSOC first acquired a land
lease, the company has also failed to comply with the requirements established
by the 2013 Presidential Decree and to meet its commitments towards
communities."
LA VILLE CAMEROUNAISE DE KRIBI ACCUEILLERA LE MONUMENT DE «LA MÈRE DE
L'HUMANITÉ» :: CAMEROON 5/3/2016 APA: "Don du peuple des Etats-Unis
d'Amérique à l'Afrique pour remercier celle-ci et ses peuples pour leur immense
et incalculable contribution à la construction du monde, pour apaiser les
tensions et promouvoir la paix dans le monde en invitant tous les hommes à
pratiquer ce même inconditionnel amour et cette même générosité, il s'agira du
plus haut monument-immeuble en bronze jamais bâti sur le continent noir."
Local Artist’s Monument To Rival Statue of Liberty 3/18/2016 Los Angeles
Sentinel: "“I came up with the idea after the riots in 1992,” he said. “I wanted
to do something as an artist to help unify people because the response, after
the riots, people were doing softball games and get-togethers—real attempts at
trying to bring people together but I knew it wouldn’t last. There had to be
something in the community that lasted for decades.” Binns unveiled the 16 foot
tall bronze sculpture in Watts, California on May 11, 1996. It sits in the
center of the Watts Labor Community Action Committee Center in Watts, CA. Binns
spoke about the symbolism of the statue and what he created it to mean for the
community."
Conviction of Nasako Besingi: judicial harassment and violation of freedom of
expression in Cameroon 1/22/2016 Greenpeace: "Greenpeace Africa is alarmed
by the judicial harassment against a prominent environmental activist and human
rights defender. Yesterday, Nasako Besingi was sentenced to pay 25,000 FCFA in
fines and more than 400,000 FCFA in court charges or face 1 year in prison."
Françafrique: The evolution of France’s interference in Africa 8/26/2015 Al
Arabiya: "President Boni Yayi, in power in Benin since 2006, only reluctantly
abandoned his hope of amending the constitution in order to seek a third term, a
decision Cameroon Pesident Paul Biya, 82, as well as his Angolan counterpart
José Eduardo dos Santos, 72, are far from considering. Both have held the reins
of power for more than 30 years, and show no desire to step down amid a gloomy
balance sheet in terms of democratic governance."
Hollande acknowledges colonial-era Cameroon massacres but critics want apology 5/7/2015 RFI: "French
President François Hollande has broken a longstanding taboo on his country’s
controversial role in the genocide of Cameroon’s Bamileke people. During the
final leg of his west African tour in Yaoundé on Friday, he admitted that French
forces had tried to quash colonial separatists in the 1950s and said he was
ready to open up the history books."
From Africa's Palms 2/25/2015 Al Jazeera: "Thus it was, in 2010, that the
Cameroonian government struck the outlines of a deal with a US-based enterprise
called Herakles Farms, granting it exclusive use of a biodiversity hotspot in
south-western Cameroon - an area covering 73,000 hectares of pristine forest and
farmland - in which to start plantations. The company would benefit from some
eye-wateringly generous tax breaks, but in return it promised to bring much
needed development to the region - from jobs and schools, to hospitals and
better roads. But as revealed by this episode of People & Power, from filmmakers
Hugh Hartford, Dan Boaden and reporter Nidhi Dutt, things did not quite turn out
that way …"
Boko Haram kidnaps wife of Cameroon's vice PM, kills at least three 7/27/2014 Reuters
Cameroon: Will the Cameroonian government revise the Herakles Farms contract? 6/22/2013 Palm
Watch: "Recent news out of Yaounde suggests that the Cameroonian government
plans to review and revise the controversial contract (“Establishment
Convention”) that granted the U.S. private investment firm, Herakles Farms, a
73,000 hectare concession in the Southwest Region. According to press agency
ECOFIN, the original contract will be nullified and replaced with a new
contract. The article, posted below, points to numerous problems with the
original contract. This latest development raises a host of questions, including
how exactly the government will “nullify” the contract."
Le Cameroun annule la première convention signée avec Herakles Farms 6/21/2013 Agence
Ecofin
Land Deals in Africa: Cameroon 5/22/2013 Oakland Institute: Reports on the
Herakles palm oil plantations and their devastating social and environmental
effects.
Herakles Farms releases public statement: Operations suspended 5/21/2013 Palm
Watch – Africa: "Herakles Farms (also known as SG-SOC in Cameroon) (“Company”),
a United States-based agriculture company with operations in Ghana and Cameroon,
today, announced that it has suspended work in Cameroon in response to an order
it received from the Government of Cameroon’s Ministry of Forestry & Wildlife
(MINFOF). The order requests that the Company cease preparing land near its
Talangaye nursery, the resumption of activities “being subject to a declaration
of public usefulness made to the zone where your entire project is located.” The
order comes at a time when the Company’s main activity is the transfer of young
trees from the nurseries to their permanent places in the field near the village
of Talangaye. The Company had obtained permission to proceed and always has and
will comply fully and transparently with government regulations in force. The
Company hopes to understand and resolve these actions by the MINFOF."
The Impact of Land Acquisition on Food Sovereignty: Herakles Farms in Cameroon 4/24/2013 Palm
Watch Africa: By Jaff Bamenjo, RELUFA, JH Cameroon and Nasako Besingi, Director,
Struggle to Economize Future Environment in Cameroon (SEFE)
Land Grabbing Looms: New Palm Oil Plantation Threatens Cameroon's Rainforest 2/22/2013 Huff
Post: "It seems strange that I should have to travel thousands of miles to
Washington, D.C. to get clarity on the fate of my land and community in
Cameroon. But Herakles Farms, the American company threatening to destroy an
area of rainforest where roughly 14,000 people currently live, myself included,
is based here in the U.S."
Report: Fact
finding mission on Herakles Farms (SGSOC) oil palm plantation project 2/1/2013 Government
of Cameroon
Challenging year ends in hope for Cameroonian environmental activist 12/19/2012 Greenpeace: "This
award I receive not only in my personal capacity, but rather on behalf of those
who have worked alongside me, within the community as well as further afield,”
he said. “I wish that our struggle against illegal land grabbing will continue,
because we believe that the current location of the Herakles Farms’ palm oil
project in the middle of environmentally sensitive areas will have far reaching
negative impacts on the local human population, wildlife and botanical
biodiversity.” Greenpeace agrees. And we’ll continue working alongside Nasako
into the New Year until this project is stopped."
CAMEROON: Campaigners oppose industrial palm oil plantation 12/14/2012 IRIN: "The
plantation will economically displace approximately 25,000 people and put at
risk many others who depend on that land for small-scale food production,
hunting, and non-timber forest products. Thus, the net impact on employment will
actually be negative. This is not a fair deal," Nasako Besingi, one of the
campaigners against the plantation, told IRIN."
CAMEROON: Campaigners oppose industrial palm oil plantation 12/14/2012 IRIN: "The
plantation will economically displace approximately 25,000 people and put at
risk many others who depend on that land for small-scale food production,
hunting, and non-timber forest products. Thus, the net impact on employment will
actually be negative. This is not a fair deal," Nasako Besingi, one of the
campaigners against the plantation, told IRIN."
Cameroun: Récompensé pour sa lutte en faveur du foncier équitable 12/13/2012 Journal
du Cameroun: "Nasako Besingi a reçu le prix TAIGO 2012, de l’acteur non étatique
pour son combat contre l’accaparement des terres dans la région du Sud-ouest."
Civil Society Accuses Herakles Farms of sabotaging Biya 12/13/2012 Kumba
News: "The accusations have been voiced by Nasako Besingi Managing Director of
the civil society organization Struggle to Economise Future Environment( SEFE)
which has engaged in a battle to resist the palm plantation project of Herakles
Farms(HF) in Ndian Ndivision hinging its argument on environmental reasons. The
Guardians Post Caught up with Nasako in its Kumba Bureau Monday November 19,
2012 a few days after he and five others were released from detention in
Mudemba."
Nasako Besingi wins a prize for opposing SGSOC project 12/12/2012 All
Voices: "The Director of the NGO, Struggle to Economize Future Environment
(SEFE) Nasako BESINGI is the winner of the 2012 TAIGO non-state actor. Nasako
becomes the first winner in this category since the competition was launched in
2011. The prize to non-state actors rewards the commitment of Mr. BESINGI for
transparency and governance, particularly in the context of his struggle to
publicize the inconsistencies of the SGSOC project and the violation of Cameroon
land laws and international conventions that characterize it."
Campaign Update– Cameroon: Opposition to Herakles Repressed 12/11/2012 Cultural
Survival: "Nasako Besingi, the director of Struggle to Economise Future
Environment (SEFE), one of our coalition partners on the ground in Cameroon, was
arrested November 14th along with five others in the town of Mundemba,
Cameroon.Local and international pressure was successful in releasing the
activists after being held for two days with no charge."
Cameroon: Thwarting the
VPA’s promise … ... Yet taking a step forward 12/1/2012 FERN: "Implementation
of the VPA between the EU and Cameroon, ratified in August 2011 is being
complemented by a decree1published on 9 November 2012 by the Minister of Forests
and Fauna of Cameroon (MinFoF): the decree suspends the exploitation, throughout
the entire country, of two precious tropical species, bubinga and wenge."
Cameroon: Arbitrary arrest of and judicial harassment against Mr. Nasako Besingi
and four SEFE collaborators 11/29/2012 FIDH: "The Observatory has been
informed by reliable sources about the arbitrary arrest of and judicial
harassment against Mr. Nasako Besingi, Director of the NGO Struggle to Economize
Future Environment (SEFE), a local environmental organisation based in Mundemba,
Ndian division, Southwest Cameroon, and four of his collaborators, Ms. Ekpoh
Theresia Malingo, Mr. Isele Gabriel Ngoe, Mr. Mosongo Lawrence Namaso and Mr.
Nwete Jongele."
Cameroon: Arbitrary arrest of and judicial harassment against Mr. Nasako Besingi
and four SEFE collaborators 11/29/2012 World Organisation Against
Torture: "According to the information received, in the morning of November 14,
2012, over 15 heavily armed Gendarme officers led by Brigade Commandant Luc
Evoundou raided the premises of SEFE in Mundemba, where over 50 members of the
local population had come to get T-shirts that were prepared for a peaceful
campaign against the company Sithe Global Sustainable Oils Cameroon (SGSOC), a
local subsidiary of the New York based company HERAKLES Farms, and its
establishment of a controversial large-scale palm oil plantation on 73,000
hectares in the area[1]. On this same day, the Governor of the southwest region
from Buea was visiting Mundemba to install the local government official and the
local population wanted to use this occasion to wear the T-shirts as a means to
peacefully voice their rejection of the oil palm plantation project to the
authorities."
Facts on the ground undermine Herakles’ Cameroonian PR offensive 11/22/2012 Greenpeace: "Bruce
Wrobel the CEO of Herakles Farms has long claimed that his is a company that
represents a positive presence in Africa. Indeed it seems impossible at present
to pick up a newspaper in the Cameroonian capital Yaoundé without reading about
one minor miracle or another taking place in the south west of the country that
can only be attributed to the company and their benevolence. Minor miracles that
the company is paying for themselves to advertise. But flying over the same
southwest region and the real effect of Herakles Farms' presence in the country
becomes all too evident. Like ugly pockmarks, craters of forest clearings to
make way for what could eventually be a palm oil plantation ten times the size
of Manhattan, are visible for miles around in what is otherwise a sea of trees."
Herakles Farms Continues Forest Clearing For Palm Oil 11/20/2012 Scoop: "Aerial
footage from Greenpeace International taken earlier this month shows how trees
in the largely forested concession area have been cleared by SG Sustainable Oils
Cameroon (SGSOC), a subsidiary of New York-based Herakles Farms. The
deforestation is taking place despite the fact SGSOC is operating via a 99-year
land lease that has not yet been approved by Presidential Decree and is
therefore questionable under Cameroonian Law. If it is not stopped, the planned
73,000-hectare concession will eventually be 10 times the size of Manhattan. It
would destroy a densely forested area in a biodiversity hotspot, resulting in
severe consequences for the livelihoods of thousands of residents and for the
global climate."
Action alert: Stop palm oil plantations from destroying Africa’s ancient
rainforests and local livelihoods in Cameroon 11/20/2012 Climate
Connections: "Please join us in sending a powerful message to Herakles Farms and
All for Africa demanding they stop destroying tropical rainforest and local
livelihoods."
Cameroon police detain 4 activists 11/17/2012 AP: "The group said late
Friday that Nasako Besingi and three of his co-workers with the environmental
group the Struggle to Economize Future Environment were taken from their office
in the southwest town of Mundemba on Wednesday. It said they have been held
since without charge. Greenpeace International says the arrests are in violation
of Cameroonian law and are linked to their opposition to the oil palm plantation
planned by the U.S.-based Herakles Farms."
Cameroon — Greenpeace International says security officers detained four
environmental 11/17/2012 AP
A LEGAL REJOINDER TO THE REBUTTAL OF THE CEO OF HERAKLES FARM MR. BRUCE WROBEL
ON HERAKLES LAND DEALS IN CAMEROON 11/3/2012 Modern Ghana: "As an active
participant in this matter I read with some interest and consternation some of
the statements made by Mr. Bruce Wrobel, the CEO of Herakles Farms which has a
subsidiary in Cameroon called SG Sustainable Oils Cameroon Ltd. that has the
ambition of establishing an oil palm plantation in the South West Region of
Cameroon in a purported response to what is contained in a report recently
published by the Oakland Institute concerning the project. In particular, I am
more concerned with his statements concerning the legality of the activities of
SG SOC in Cameroon and the position of the litigation against the company
instituted by me as Counsel for Struggle to Economize Future Environment
(S.E.F.E ) which occupy such a prominent place in Mr. Bruce's so-called response
and its so-called deceptive ambitious social policy."
Africa's False Dilemma 10/26/2012 Huff Post: by Kumi Naidoo, Executive
Director, Greenpeace International
Land Grabbing Looms: New Palm Oil Plantation Threatens Cameroon's Rainforest 10/26/2012 Huff
Post: by Nasako Besingi, Founder and director, Struggle to Economize the Future
Environment (SEFE)
GHOSTS OF KAMERUN 9/15/2012 New Left Review: "Even today, the reality of
French involvement in large-scale conflict there in the 1950s and 60s is not
recognized by officials, who speak instead of riots, ethnic confrontations or at
most civil war. If the French counter-insurgency of 1956–71 remains largely
taboo, it is because it retains a burning actuality: the regime it established
is still very much in place."
New report debunks investors’ effort to greenwash 9/11/2012 Scoop: "An
American owned company with a track record of illegality and links to private
equity giant Blackstone Group threatens to destroy rainforests and dislocate
local communities in Cameroon. A new report (1) from The Oakland Institute, in
collaboration with Greenpeace International, exposes how a New York-based
agri-corporation, Herakles Farms, and its local subsidiary SG Sustainable Oils
Cameroon (SGSOC), are involved in a land deal that is questionable under
Cameroonian Law, opposed by locals since 2010 and has just pulled out of the
industry’s sustainable certification scheme (2)."
Oakland Institute, Greenpeace expose New York investors' land grab in Cameroon 9/5/2012 PR
Newswire
STATUS OF COMPLAINTS: HERACKLES FARMS 9/4/2012 Roundtable on Sustainable
Palm Oil (RSPO): "The RSPO has received a letter from Herakles Farms dated 24
Aug 2012 stating the company’s decision to withdraw their membership from the
RSPO. The RSPO regrets this withdrawal of membership by Herakles Farms. This
action pre-empts recommendations from the RSPO Complaints Panel to further
verify the allegations made by the complainants."
Campaign Update – Cameroon: Protests Show Dissent on Palm Oil Project 8/15/2012 Cultural
Survival
Diez países de África se unen en la vigilancia de los bosques 7/27/2012 Guin
Guin Bali: "Una nueva iniciativa regional ayudará a diez países de África
Central a establecer sistemas nacionales avanzados de monitoreo de los bosques,
según anunció la FAO. Los diez países forman parte de la cuenca del Congo e
incluyen Burundi, Camerún, República Centroafricana, Chad, la República
Democrática del Congo, la República del Congo, Guinea Ecuatorial, Gabón, Ruanda
y Santo Tomé y Príncipe."
Africa Palm-Oil Plan Pits Activists Against New York Investors 7/18/2012 Reuters: "Right
now, Africa is the target of many companies hungry for forest land. An April
2012 study by the World Wildlife Fund and France’s Institute for Research and
Development noted that new regulations and scrutiny elsewhere are “encouraging
large Asian companies to heavily invest in Central Africa.” Herakles Farms,
owned by New York venture-finance firm Herakles Capital, and other food giants
such as Malaysia’s Sime Darby and Singapore’s Olam, see the next big growth area
down the west coast of Africa, from Liberia to Gabon."
Special Report: Africa palm-oil plan pits activists vs N.Y. investors 7/18/2012 Reuters: "Herakles
takes such allegations seriously. The company needs the blessing of the
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), a Kuala Lumpur-based certification
body set up in 2004 and designed to rid the industry of the forest-wrecking
image it picked up in Asia. Without the nod of the RSPO, Herakles would struggle
to support its argument that it will be a model for producing palm oil in an
environment-friendly way. To get that imprint, Herakles must prove it has the
locals' "free, prior and informed consent", a principle set out in the U.N.
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and adopted by the RSPO."
Herakles Farms Announces Update on Its Cameroon Palm Oil Subsidiary SGSOC 6/12/2012 PR
Newswire: "While SGSOC expects that approximately 60,000 hectares may ultimately
be suitable for planting, before it proceeds with transferring its trees from
the nursery to the field, it has committed to performing additional pre-planting
studies designed to ensure that the Company has thoroughly mapped all high
conservation value sites, important lands for village use, buffer zones and
fulfilled other obligations to key stakeholders. "
CONCERNS MOUNT AGAINST US OIL PALM PLANTATIONS IN CAMEROON 6/3/2012 Akanimo
Reports: "SEFE President/Managing Director, Nasako Besingi, in the e-mail that
was made available to AkanimoReports on Sunday, said: ''You will agree with me
that these threats do not only come from nearby communities but from onshore and
offshore human activities''."
Cameroon: Forests Pressured As Leaders Welcome Palm Oil Investors 5/23/2012 AlertNet: "Cameroon
is inviting foreign companies to expand lucrative palm plantations, pitting the
country's need for economic development against environmentalists who foresee
the loss of important forests. Since 2009 this West African country has
witnessed a sharp rise in interest from companies seeking vast expanses of land
for industrial palm plantations in response to increasing global demand for palm
oil. Six foreign-owned companies are currently trying to secure over 1 million
hectares (about 2.5 million acres) of land for the production of palm oil in the
country's forested southern zone, according to a coalition of environmental
organisations."
How a U.S. Company Is Breaking Laws and Grabbing Land in Africa 5/14/2012 Alternet: "In
2009, SGSOC signed a 99-year contract with Cameroon's government for around
70,000 hectares (over 170,000 acres) in the Ndian and Kupe-Muanenguba regions of
the country. The company plans to develop a large industrial palm oil plantation
and refinery on 60,000 hectares of the concession, and produce palm oil and
other products. SGSOC insists that the plan will create 7,500 jobs, as well as
generate revenues for Cameroon's government, improve road infrastructure and
deliver other social services. However, local and international NGOs are raising
concerns about the impact the project might have on the environment and human
rights. The company’s contract gives it the right to arrest and detain people
within their concession. It also practically exonerates the company from paying
taxes, and states that all contractual terms are valid even if they are in
conflict with Cameroonian law. SGSOC is a subsidiary of American agribusiness
corporation Herakles Farms. In turn, Herakles Farms is a subsidiary of Herakles
Capital, a New York-based venture finance firm that specializes in investments
in developing countries. Herakles Farms, in partnership with its non-profit, All
for Africa, is focused on large-scale sustainable agricultural projects in
sub-Saharan Africa."
Herakles Farms is cutting the heart out of Cameroon’s rainforest 5/11/2012 Greenpeace: "Within
the past few weeks, rainforest destruction has begun once again in one of
Africa’s most important biodiversity hotspots: the coastal rainforest of
Cameroon, at the fringe of the Congo Basin region. Herakles Farms, the American
company behind the operation, is now pressing ahead with the establishment of a
palm oil plantation in this precious area despite major social, environmental
and legal concerns."
RELUFA Newsletter - Cameroon 3/1/2012 RELUFA: "A local group, the Struggle
to Economize Future Environment (SEFE), initiated the mobilization of the
population to protect their community rights. In August 2011, SEFE introduced a
court case against SGSOC asserting that their planned oil palm project will have
disastrous consequences for local peoples’ livelihoods; destroy biodiversity,
wildlife and hydrology. Following the lawsuit, the court placed an injunction on
the activities of the SGSOC. But curiously, SGSOC failed to respect the court
orders and continued with their activities. The Ndian High court in Mundemba
ordered the arrest of the company officials for violating the court orders."
Complaint on : Herakles Farms/Sithe Global Sustainable Oils Cameroon(SGSOC) 1/3/2012 RSPO: "Complainant
: 10 individual complaints including World Wildlife Fund for Nature, RELUFA (
Network for the Fight against Hunger Cameroon),SAVE Wildlife Conservation
Fund,Centre for Environment and Development in Yaounde, Cameroon Greenpeace"
Herakles Farms Releases Environmental & Social Impact Assessment, Launches
Social Infrastructure Program 9/14/2011 Heracles Capital
Palm oil, poverty, and conservation collide in Cameroon 9/13/2011 Mongabay: "The
world's most productive oil seed has been a boon to southeast Asian economies,
but the looming arrival of industrial plantations in Africa is raising fears
that some of the same detriments that have plagued leading producers Malaysia
and Indonesia—deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss,
conflicts with local people, social displacement, and poor working
conditions—could befall one of the world’s most destitute regions."
A Huge Oil Palm Plantation Puts African Rainforest at Risk 9/12/2011 Environment
360: "Given the environmental importance of the site of the proposed Herakles
plantation, conservationists are asking, why there? Considering that Africa has
more than 400 million hectares of degraded forest land available for
development, why not choose an area where the forest is already gone? “Given the
versatility of oil palm and so much degraded, deforested land across the
tropics, surely there are better places to make this kind of investment,” said
Nigel Sizer, director of the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Global Forests
Initiative, who met with Herakles officials to express his concerns."
Siva Group in Cameroon $1.9 bln palm oil deal 8/24/2011 Reuters: "Biopalm
Energy, a subsidiary of Singapore’s Siva group will on Wednesday launch a 900
billion CFA Francs palm oil investment project in the south of Cameroon, an
official of the country’s agriculture ministry said on Tuesday. The 200,000
hectares greenfield project will be jointly developed with the Central African
nation’s National Investment Corporation, the official said, requesting not to
be named."
Herakles lands $350 mln Cameroon palm oil deal 7/17/2011 Reuters: "New
York-based agricultural company Herakles Farms will develop some 60,000 hectares
of oil palm plantations in Cameroon's south-west region, project manager Delilah
Rothenberg told Reuters in an interview. "We are developing approximately 60,000
hectares of oil palm plantation, and expect the total capital costs to be about
$350 million, to be invested over several years," she said of the result of a
land lease deal signed with the government… She added Herakles was adhering to
industry standards on sustainability and that the project would create some
9,000 local jobs."
US Investors want a 72,000 hectare palm oil plantation in the middle of the
rainforest 7/9/2011 Intercontinental Cry: "Conservation groups are on a
last-minute run to stop one of the world's largest private equity firms, the
Blackstone Group, from getting a brand new 72,000 hectare palm oil plantation in
the middle of the rainforest. Naturefund, Rettet den Regenwald, Rainforest
Foundation UK SAVE Wildlife Conservation Fund and other groups warn that plans
are already underway to clear out the biologically-rich rainforest in Southwest
Cameroon."
Stop Blackstone Deforestation in Cameroon 6/30/2011 African Conservation
Foundation: "The rainforests of the Gulf of Guinea in Cameroon and Nigeria are a
biodiversity hotspot. They are among the most biologically rich forests in the
world and harbor many plant and animal species found nowhere else on this
planet. They are also highly threatened. In the middle of this network of
forests a palm oil plantation is planned. Over 70,000 hectares (270 sq. miles)
of land currently covered by a mosaic of mature, dense forest, agroforest,
farmland, and human settlements will be transformed into a monoculture of oil
palms. This will be an environmental disaster for the rainforests in Cameroon;
even worse than the planned highway trough the Serengeti. The oil palm
plantation will further fragment this unique landscape, restricting the natural
movements of many animal species."
Stop the Palm Oil Plantation in Cameroon 6/27/2011 Care2 Petition
Site: "The permit for the plantation was given without agreement from the 38
small villages (45,000 people) and factual landowners. Their estates would
become confiscated."
Herakles Farms Develops Sustainable Palm Oil Plantations in Cameroon & Ghana 6/15/2011 Heracles
Capital
Palm oil plantation 'threatens Cameroon rainforest' 6/7/2011 Ethical
Consumer: "German campaign group Rettet Den Regenvald have reported that
Herakles Capital was planning a 72,000 hectare palm oil plantation in the
rainforest of Cameroon. It argued that: "the forest and the animal and plant
species living there would be destroyed forever. The people would also lose
their land and livelihoods."
Cameroon: Palm Oil Project Threatens People and the Rainforest 5/7/2011 Rainforest
Rescue: "Please participate in our protest and write to the Minister of
Environment and the Minister of Forests of Cameroon. We are collecting
signatures and will be presenting them to the Cameroon Embassy in Berlin."
French Colonial Past Casts Long Shadow Over Policy in Africa 4/17/2011 NYT: "Achille
Mbembé, a Cameroonian-born historian and critic of French involvement in Ivory
Coast, said that France continued to support African dictators, mentioning the
leaders of Gabon, Cameroon, Congo, Chad and Togo. He saw “a continuity in the
management of Françafrique — this system of reciprocal corruption, which, since
the end of colonial occupation, ties France to its African henchmen.”"
Manu Dibango Appointed UNESCO Artist for Peace 5/27/2004 PL
Land expropriation among the Batanga people in Kribi, Cameroon
Nasako Besingi, Director, Struggle to Economize Future Environment (SEFE)
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