Since 2010, Herakles Farms / SGSOC palm oil plantation in Cameroon’s South-West region, multiplied misdeed towards the people living around the concession area. Greenpeace releases a report that builds on the work of several Cameroonian and International NGOs since 2010, and is a reminder of all the misdeeds of this company for the past six years (breaches of Cameroonian and international law, land-grabbing, illegal clearing and sale of timber, corruption).

SGSOC obtained a three years provisional land lease in November 2013 through a Presidential Decree, for a concession of about 20 000 hectares, located among several protected areas and biodiversity hotspots. A coalition of several NGOs, including Greenpeace, is now campaigning to empower the people impacted by the plantation whose appeals haven’t been heard by decision makers, and to make sure that this company’s lease is neither extended nor renewed. 

Thanks to US diplomatic cables that were made public through a Freedom of information act request, you will also read some interesting info about the role of the US embassy in Yaounde in putting pressure on high-level Cameroonian politicians (up to President Biya himself), and promoting this company despite possessing information about several corruption allegations. Oakland Institute released a few days ago a briefer dedicated to these cables, available here.