Ressources

Okani, an indigenous peoples’ organisation in east Cameroon, conducted COVID-19 information sharing and awareness raising with 50 members of the Baka and Bagyeli communities in June. The activity served as a space for the communities to share how their daily lives were being affected by government measures imposed to contain the spread of the virus. 

Okani, una ONG indígena de base comunitaria en Camerún oriental llevó a cabo un intercambio de información y campaña de concientización sobre la COVID-19 con las comunidades Baka y Bagyeli. La actividad también sirvió de espacio para que las comunidades compartieran cómo su vida cotidiana se estaba viendo afectada por las medidas gubernamentales impuestas para contener la propagación del virus.

Bagyeli indigenous peoples have submitted a request for consideration to the Committee for the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination. The submission relates to the anticipated encroachment on the customary lands of seven Bagyeli communities by CamVert, for the establishment of an oil palm plantation

In April 2019, Association Okani, an indigenous peoples’ organisation based in Cameroon, in conjunction with Forest Peoples Programme submitted a request for consideration under the CERD Early Warning / Urge

Indigenous Bagyeli communities in Cameroon are appealing to the United Nations and national courts to save their lands and forests, which are in the process of being given to large agri-business interests by the State.

Under threat of land grabbing by agribusiness company Biopalm, indigenous Bagyeli women from the department of Océan say no to oil palm production in their forests.

The attendees, representing nine indigenous-led organisations, came together not only to validate and share the findings of the Indigenous Navigator project questionnaire, but also to discuss future actions.

Unidos bajo la bandera de la plataforma Gbabandi, más de 32 pueblos indígenas Baka y Bagyeli de Camerún se reunieron para validar datos sobre las experiencias de los pueblos indígenas en relación con la protección de sus derechos. Los participantes, en representación de nueve organizaciones dirigidas por indígenas, se reunieron no solo para valida

Over 25 indigenous Baka and Bagyeli representatives have received training on a tool to monitor the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDR

Más de 25 representantes de los pueblos indígenas Baka y Bagyeli han recibido formación para utilizar una herramienta ideada para supervisar la aplicación de la Declaración de las Naciones Unidas sobre los derechos de los pueblos indígenas (

On International Women’s Day 2017, indigenous Baka and Bagyeli women in the rainforest of southern Cameroon are facing up to threats to their lands, livelihoods and forests. Equipped with smartphone apps, women are learning how to monitor the issues that affect their lives the most.

Indigenous forest peoples in Cameroon have come together to form an official platform to better represent their views locally, nationally and internationally. For the first time in Cameroon, representatives from more than fifty indigenous Baka and Bagyeli communities have united to form a national organisation to represent Cameroon’s forest peoples and defend their rights at the local, national and international levels.

Los pueblos indígenas de los bosques de Camerún se han reunido para formar una plataforma oficial que represente mejor sus puntos de vista en las esferas local, nacional e internacional.

In 2012, Singaporean-owned palm oil company Biopalm Energy Limited was granted a provisional concession to create an oil palm plantation. Affected local communities, which include both indigenous Bagyeli communities as well as Bakoko and Bass’aa Bantu communities, were not consulted and were given limited information about the project. Since 2012, FPP and community-based indigenous NGO Okani have been working with communities in Ocean, in southern Cameroon. Okani and FPP have provided more details of the project to possibly affected communities, and explained what their rights are in respect of the project, in order for them to take an informed view of whether to support or oppose the project, and how best to negotiate with the company. 

En 2012 la empresa de aceite de palma Biopalm Energy Limited de Singapur obtuvo una concesión provisional para crear una plantación de palma de aceite. Las comunidades locales afectadas, entre las que se incluían comunidades indígenas tanto Bagyeli como Bantú Bakoko y Bantú Bass’aa, no fueron consultadas y se les dio una información limitada sobre el proyecto. Desde 2012 el FPP y la ONG indígena comunitaria Okani han estado trabajando con comunidades de L'Océan, departamento del sur de Camerún. Okani y el FPP han proporcionado más detalles del proyecto a las comunidades a las que podría afectar, y les ha explicado cuáles son sus derechos con respecto a él,  para que puedan tomar una posición informada acerca de si apoyan o se oponen al proyecto, y para que puedan negociar con la empresa de la mejor manera posible.

For the last two months, the Bantu and Bagyeli communities of Bella have watched as workers from a forestry company have entered their territory and started razing their forest lands. Removal of logs has damaged their crops, and has come so close to houses as to put them at risk of damage from the felling.

Durante los últimos dos meses las comunidades Bantú y Bagyeli de Bella han sido testigos de cómo trabajadores de una empresa forestal han entrado en su territorio y han empezado a arrasar sus tierras forestales. La extracción de madera ha dañado sus cultivos y  ha llegado tan cerca de sus casas que la tala las ha puesto en peligro de destrucción.

In dialogue with parliament and the governmentCompared to the 1990s and the start of the 21st century, the question of giving recognition to the indigenous peoples of Cameroon has, in recent years, become a central issue, if still in a somewhat tentative way.Indeed, on the 1st and 2nd of September 2011 in Yaounde, Cameroon, parliament and the government held a dialogue on indigenous peoples. The meeting brought together members of the National Assembly (under the umbrella of the Parliamentarians’ Network, REPAR), representatives of ministries with projects affecting indigenous peoples, development partners, UN special representatives and a substantial delegation of indigenous peoples: Baka, Bakola, Bagyeli and Bororo. A new phenomenon was the willingness to consider what is involved in giving recognition to indigenous communities, as was demonstrated by the extensive question and answer sessions between the members of the National Assembly and the indigenous peoples.

El diálogo Parlamento-GobiernoEn comparación con la situación de los años 90 y principios del 2000, la cuestión del reconocimiento de los pueblos indígenas del Camerún se ha puesto verdaderamente al centro de las preocupaciones en estos últimos años, aunque sea de una manera muy tímida.En efecto, durante el 1 y el 2 de septiembre de 2011 se celebró en Yaundé, Camerún, el diálogo Parlamento-Gobierno sobre los pueblos indígenas. Asistieron a este encuentro los deputados a la asamblea general reunidos en el centro de la Red Parlamentaria (REPAR), los representantes de los ministerios que tienen proyectos que afectan a los pueblos indígenas, los socios para el desarrollo, las representaciones especializadas de las Naciones Unidas y, por supuesto, una nutrida delegación de los pueblos indígenas: Baka, Bakola, Bagyéli y Bororo. La innovación se puso en el compromiso de cada uno de poner por encima las preocupaciones relacionadas con la consideración de los derechos de las comunidades arriba mencionadas. Las administraciones se sometieron al juego de preguntas y respuestas realizadas por los deputados y los pueblos indígenas.

The government of Cameroon has signed a MoU for the creation of a 200,000 ha palm oil plantation by BioPalm Energy Ltd (a subsidiary of the Singapore-based SIVA Group) in Ocean province, Cameroon. This project was launched on Wednesday 24th August 2011 – despite the indigenous Bagyeli people opposing the decision to allocate their customary lands to the BioPalm plantation.Recent fieldwork by Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) has found that neither the project nor the state has secured the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of the Bagyeli, as required by the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Peoples Rights, which Cameroon has ratified.