The National Association of Peasant and River Populations of Cameroon, Synaparcam, called for peaceful marches on 14 November on roads near five oil palm plantations operated by the companies Socapalm and Safacam. The two companies are controlled by Socfin, a multinational agribusiness specialized in oil palm and rubber plantations and with financial and operating companies in Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland. Synaparcam brings together over 1,000 members from five different plantations. With the 14 November protests, they demand that Socfin act on the unfulfilled promises made since 2015, to enter into meaningful dialog with Synaparcam as legitimate intermediary chosen by the communities, to resolve the many outstanding conflicts its plantations are causing, and that the local authorities play their role monitoring corporate law infringements. The marches follow action in June 2016, when hundreds of villagers peacefully mobilized to disrupt Socapalm and Safacam’s activities in the same five plantations (see Bulletin 224).
In French: https://www.facebook.com/synaparcam/
In Spanish: http://umoya.org/2016/07/11/camerun-los-campesinos-reclaman-todavia-20-000-hectareas-de-tierra-a-socapalm/
