Civil society considering an alternative method of forestry exploitation

The Non-governmental organization Greenpeace, in collaboration with the Centre for environment and development (CED), Association citoyenne de défense des intérêts collectifs (ACDIC) and the network for combating hunger (RELUFA) recently held in Yaoundé, a reflection workshop on models of development for a sustainable exploitation of natural resources in the country.

For two days, participants drew tracks which permitted debate between the various actors in the field as alternatives to the current model of development based mainly on the industrial exploitation of natural resources, and guided by a logic of profitability in the short term not benefiting the communities.

According Irène Wabiwa Betoko, responsible for "forest campaign" at Greenpeace Africa, in recent years, Cameroonian forests have particularly been inflamed coveted by multinationals in sectors of mining, agri-food and forestry, "but a large part of these transactions is opaque and is a breeding ground for corruption, the transgression of national laws and the non-respect for the rights of local communities".

For the organizers of the workshop, while these projects may represent an opportunity for the economy of Cameroon, they can also represent a risk to the livelihood of local communities and the environment, particularly for a country where thousands of people depend on the forest for their survival. In support of these denunciations, they presented several cases of illegality, violence towards communities and social conflicts.

For them, community-based initiatives exist in Cameroon and are genuine alternatives to the current model, but unfortunately it does not benefit from the support from the Government nor the development partners.