The Association of Women Neighbouring Socapalm Edéa (AFRISE), with the support of more than forty organisations, denounces human rights violations on the outskirts of the Socapalm plantations.
This letter is written in the aftermath of serious social and environmental issues flagged by communities neighbouring the plantations in Cameroun. It is addressed to Socapalm, Socfinaf and Socfin – subsidiaries of Bolloré – which are in charge of managing the plantations.
In 2019, ten organisations, including Sherpa, filed a complaint against Bolloré to request the implementation of the action plan negotiated before the National Contact Point in 2013.
Dear Directors General of Socapalm, Socfinaf and Socfin,
Dear Members of the Boards of Directors (*)
The Socfin Group controls, via its subsidiaries, over 58,000 hectares of oil palm plantations belonging to Socapalm (Cameroon), which it bought when it was privatised in 2000. Since 2021, Socapalm – majority-owned by Socfinaf, a Luxembourg holding itself part owned by the Bolloré Group – has been replanting palms to rejuvenate its plantation at Edéa, in the Sanaga-Maritime province. This is creating tremendous difficulty for neighbouring villagers. They lack sufficient space to live and to farm for their subsistence needs. Even their sacred sites have been ruined. Women in particular are demanding access to land to feed their families, but find themselves lacking freedom of movement. This has led to an open conflict between the villagers and Socapalm that is negatively affecting people’s lives and social peace, and must be resolved.
As we understand it:
- The replanting is occurring near people’s homes in the village of Apouh à Ngog. Socapalm’s land rights in the area are complex and under dispute since long. Villagers of Apouh expected that when the old palms were cut, they would get land back – a sufficient “living space”, as foreseen in particular under the long term lease concluded in 2000 between the State of Cameroon and Socapalm. But this has not happened.
- Women of Apouh have organised themselves as the Association of Women Neighbouring Socapalm Edéa (AFRISE), which is leading the advocacy effort. AFRISE has submitted documentary evidence, testimonies and demands to Socapalm, local authorities and government agencies, such as the Ministry of Land (2022) and the Commission on Human Rights (2024). They have even appealed for justice to the President of the Republic, H.E. Paul Biya.
- In response, Socapalm has taken several measures – offers to dialogue, calls for appeasement – but they have not resolved the situation. As no one is sufficiently responding to their legitimate demands, the women of AFRISE recently took the courage to enter land occupied by Socapalm and planted banana suckers for their subsistence needs. In response, they received a sommation to stop their action or else face penalties or imprisonment.
What is happening around Socapalm in Edéa is also happening – in different ways and under different forms – around other Socfin plantations such as in Nigeria, Cambodia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana and other parts of Cameroon. This has been documented most recently by your hired consultants, the Earthworm Foundation, and therefore known to you. In most cases (58%), Earthworm Foundation determined that community complaints about land grabs, lack of access to land, polluted water sources, violence against women, labour rights violations and more were either “founded” or “partially founded”.
The pension funds of Switzerland and Norway have been warned and advised by their associates to divest from Bolloré SE because of its involvement in Socfin and connection to these injustices. UK-based investors are currently exploring similar actions for the same reason.
The land conflict in Apouh is urgent and needs resolution. Peace and respect for the rights of local communities affected by your activities must be guaranteed.
As concerned citizens and organisations, we hold you to account to provide justice to the villagers of Apouh and to other communities affected by Socfin’s operations across Africa and Asia. Specifically, and as a matter of urgency, you are asked to give the communities of Apouh free access to the customary land bordering their village, and to put an end to any current or future action likely to criminalise the villagers.
