Transparency of Land-based Investments: Cameroon Country Snapshot

Abstract

Despite a recent transparency law and participation in transparency initiatives, Cameroon’s investment environment remains plagued by poor transparency. In a new report focusing on agribusiness projects in Cameroon, CCSI and the Centre pour l’Environnement et le Développement (CED) find that: Communities continue to be excluded from decision-making around investments. The government pursues a top-down approach to concession allocation and remains reluctant to recognize all legitimate tenure rights. The government faces threats to its legitimacy as the grievances of citizens and investors alike lead to the barring of roads by communities and investor withdrawals. CCSI and CED therefore call for: A new law concerning the governance of land and land-based investment in Cameroon, to be developed in close consultation and collaboration with communities, Indigenous groups, and other actors. The law should respond to the transparency needs of affected communities, enable increased funding for technical support to communities, and facilitate the recognition of all legitimate customary land rights, with specific attention to Indigenous communities and women and girls. A national moratorium on any new approvals for large-scale agribusiness and other land-based investment projects until Cameroon’s legal and policy landscape has been reformed. This research forms part of a broader portfolio of research conducted by CCSI on a demand-driven approach to land investment transparency, focusing on the transparency needs of project-affected communities and host governments. This project was funded with UK aid from the UK government; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies