YAOUNDÉ — In the village of Apouh, in southwestern Cameroon’s Edéa municipality, a group of women has remained steadfast in its fight against palm oil giant Socapalm. For several years, members of the Association of Women Residents of Socapalm-Edéa (AFRISE) have firmly opposed the Socapalm plantation on the village’s outskirts, and say they’re determined to reclaim their land from the company.

On Feb. 17, 2025, they sent an open letter to Socapalm, and its parent companies Socfinaf and Socfin, in which Bolloré holds a stake, to demand access to their traditional lands. The letter was co-signed by some 60 environmental and human rights organizations from Cameroon and around the world.

Luxembourg-based holding company Socfin operates more than 58,000 hectares (143,000 acres) of oil palm and rubber plantations in Cameroon, through its subsidiaries Socapalm and Safacam, respectively. Almost everywhere it operates in the country, the company’s relationship with local communities bordering its plantations has been contentious.

The Earthworm Foundation (EF), an environmental consulting firm commissioned by Socfin to investigate accusations of serious human rights violations on plantations that the holding company controls in West Africa, Central Africa and Asia, published the latest in a series of reports on Feb. 14. The consultancy found grounds to uphold communities’ complaints about land grabbing, sexual abuse and the occupation of sacred sites in Socapalm plantations in Cameroon’s coastal areas of Edéa, Mbambou and Mbongo.

The EF report highlights an amendment to the long-term lease granted to Socapalm that stipulates that 3,712 hectares (9,173 acres) of land should be returned to Edéa communities. Yet the land restitution process that began in 2020 is “still ongoing.” EF found the same to be true for the Mbambou and Mbongo plantations.

Félicité Ngo Bissou, a spokesperson for the AFRISE women, told Mongabay that the company is refusing to return their land. “We decided to plant plantains on about 38 hectares [94 acres], and then we received a summons from the company, asking us to stop our actions,” she said. “We cannot abandon this site. We will continue to pursue our demands until the land we are demanding is returned to us.”

In response to emailed questions from Mongabay, Socfin deflected responsibility to the government for the delayed return of the land: “By an amendment dated 30 August 2005 to the initial lease of 30 June 2000, 20,466 hectares [50,573 acres] were withdrawn from the Socapalm concession (initially 78,529 ha [194,049 acres]). These lands are therefore no longer leased, exploited, or occupied by Socapalm. The ceding of these lands, provided for by this amendment, is entirely the responsibility of the owner of these lands, namely the Cameroonian State.”

Serious ethical violations

EF’s investigations conducted between May and June 2024 in Socapalm’s plantations in Edéa, Mbambou and Mbongo confirmed allegations of sexual abuse of female Socapalm employees, as well as other women living near the plantations.

One case involved a contract worker living in the Socapalm workers’ camp in Edéa, accused of raping a minor, the daughter of another contract worker. EF documented other cases of physical and sexual violence perpetrated by company employees against women living near the same plantation.

The series of reports coming out of Earthworm’s investigations reveal that serious rights violations are rife on Socfin’s plantations in Cameroon and elsewhere in Africa, and that they’ve occurred repeatedly over the years.

Socfin says it has started implementing corrective measures in action plans drawn up for each plantation.

“The Socfin Group, through its subsidiaries, has intensified its awareness-raising and prevention actions, with the establishment and strengthening of gender committees, the establishment of different channels including a free anonymous hotline and psychological support for victims. Strict penalties are applied in the event of proven abuse,” the group said in its response to Mongabay.

It added that to assess the implementation of the corrective measures, it would publish a quarterly evaluation of these action plans on its website.

But according to Emmanuel Elong, president of the National Synergy of Farmers and Residents of Cameroon (Synaparcam), these action plans haven’t improved anything for local communities.

“As far as returning land goes, or where the liberation of living spaces and the restoration of sacred sites are concerned, there is no progress. On the contrary, Socapalm is using its substantial resources to block communities’ efforts,” he told Mongabay.

The community leader also noted that waterways around the plantation he lives near are still polluted with yellowish wastewater from its mill. He also criticized limitations on the steps taken to address gender-based violence.

“The gender committee only covers Socapalm workers, while the main victims are local residents. They tell us about their complaint management mechanism, yet they are not accountable to anyone,” Elong said.

Inaction of financial partners

Prominent French holding company Bolloré holds a 39.75% stake in Socfin, which, in turn, controls 64% of Socfinaf, the company that manages Socfin’s plantation operations in Africa.

Bolloré is itself backed by funding from several European pension funds and banks, including the U.K. bank HSBC. When contacted for comment on the latest EF findings about abuses committed on Socfin’s plantations, Sophie Kerr, HSBC’s head of global media relations, told Mongabay: “We do not comment on clients.”

Mongabay also contacted French bank BNP Paribas for comment, but it denied any connection with Bolloré: “BNP Paribas has no relationship with this company.”

These financial institutions have regularly been challenged by human rights defenders for their inaction in the face of accusations like those made against Socfin. In previous Mongabay reporting, Danielle Van Oijen, coordinator of the forest program at Dutch NGO Milieudefensie, criticized the sustainability policies promoted by these banks.

“As a financier, if you are aware of these facts and you decide, despite everything, to finance the company, in accordance with the OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] guidelines, you are contributing to these harms,” she said.

She said the continued financial backing for companies like Bolloré and Socfin endangers both local communities and the environment. She called on the banks to publicly declare that they will no longer finance the companies, and set up a reparation process open to all communities.

This story was first published here in French on Mar. 10, 2025.

Labor abuse and work accidents on plantations of Cameroon’s largest sugar producer

Banner image: Women living near the Socapalm plantation in Edéa take part in a demonstration against replanting in January 2025. Image courtesy of Félicité Ngo Bissou/AFRISE.

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