Posts Categorized: Cameroon

Communities Struggle for Fair Compensation in Cameroon

Large-scale development projects destroy property and livelihoods By Jaff Bamenjo with contributions from Prosper Kouayep  and Jacques Bile | RELUFA, Joining Hands Cameroon Since 2000, large-scale development projects have been on the rise in Cameroon. The implementation of oil pipeline, road , port infrastructure  and agribusiness projects have resulted in the destruction of property and… Read more »

Growing Hostilities in Cameroon – Action Alert

A colonial past continues to divide people in Cameroon By Eileen Schuhmann | Presbyterian Hunger Program   There have been tensions between Anglophone (English-speaking) and Francophone (French-speaking) populations in Cameroon for years with roots in colonialism. At the end of World War II, Britain and France, as victors, divided up German assets in Africa. Most… Read more »

The Hunt for Gold and Diamonds Leads to Deeper Poverty in East Cameroon

Families abandon farms and schools for small-scale mining only to be trapped in a cycle of poverty By Jaff Bamenjo | RELUFA, Joining Hands Cameroon Artisanal mining, or small-scale mining using limited machinery, is the only direct means through which local communities can benefit economically from the mineral endowments of their country. In the east… Read more »

Palm Plantation Invades Ancestral Lands

Land grab in Mbonjo village, Cameroon displaces population and disrespects ancestral burial grounds By Jaff Bamenjo | Coordinator of RELUFA, Joining Hands Cameroon Imagine the graves of your loved ones being taken over by a palm tree plantation for the export of palm oil. The palm trees stand tall, surrounding the graves, and standing on the graves… Read more »

Herakles Farms’ Cameroon Land Grab is Losing its Grip

By Joséphine Maidjane Mbara and Jaff Bamenjo | RELUFA, Joining Hands Cameroon The frequency of large scale land acquisitions for agro-industry projects has been exponentially on the rise in most African countries for the past decade. Land deals are always portrayed by investors and government agencies as necessary to improve economic growth and expand local… Read more »

Serious Blow to Anti-Corruption Efforts in Africa

By Jaff Bamenjo | RELUFA, Joining Hands Network Cameroon In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was passed by the U.S. Congress. The bill included an anti-corruption rule that required the disclosure of payments to governments by oil, gas and mining companies. The anti-corruption rule, “Section 1504,” was celebrated by civil… Read more »

Addressing Food Insecurity through Community Grain Banks

By Jaff Bamenjo | RELUFA, Joining Hands Cameroon For several decades, food insecurity and hunger have been a major concern in the extreme north region of Cameroon. The food insecurity situation has been attributed primarily to erratic rainfall, the semi-arid Sahel desert climate, rocky topography in some areas and inadequate food storage facilities. Hunger is… Read more »

RELUFA’s Policy Brief on Diamonds in Cameroon

RELUFA, the Joining Hands network in Cameroon,  has just released a policy brief on the implementation of the Kimberley Process in Cameroon. The Kimberley Process is a process that is meant to keep “conflict diamonds” (diamonds procured through the financing of violence and war) out of the market. RELUFA’s policy brief “The Kimberley Process: Responding to challenges and Policy… Read more »

Grain Banks Pioneer Remembered

Elias Gondji visiting with villagers in Cameroon. “He devoted his entire life helping communities to become self-reliant, and worked tirelessly to draw attention to issues faced by communities in the northern part of the country and bring development in the area. With RELUFA, Elias contributed to the construction of 45 granaries in far north Cameroon, which have been well managed and operational… Read more »