The Rainforests of Cameroon - PROFOR

108 The Rainforests of CameroonThe self-interest of elites is symptomatic of wider problems. Cunyand others (2004) have observed that collusion is especially detrimentalto easing poverty, because it excludes communities from theformulation of management plans and benefit sharing. Governmentreports confirm that “in most community forests . . . operations [including]technical exploitation and marketing of wood are monopolizedby economic operators who have signed partnership agreements withcommunities [and] members of the community are being left out ofthe process. Also, all operations to be carried out in the forest becomecommercialized.” 27Local Council ForestsThe gazetting of local council forests, like the gazetting of communityforests, remains a costly and time-consuming process. It must be undertakenby the local council itself. It appears that many mayors simply preferto obtain the percentage of the area tax corresponding to the portionof the UFA that overlaps local council boundaries.Local council forests have been criticized severely for the misappropriationof revenue by mayors and their clans. Villages under the jurisdictionof a local council may not be treated equally with respect toinvestments and sharing of tax revenue. These dysfunctional behaviorsare not unexpected. The only alternative is for citizens to confront theseaccountability issues with all of the legal means they can muster (withthe help of foreign partners and allies). This alternative may functionsomewhat better in an increasingly democratizing context, in which anindependent press, the Internet, the judiciary system, and newly createdinstitutions such as the Court des Comptes provide an opening forgreater public discourse and accountability.There are emerging signs that the use of forest income may beimproving in some communities. In a very small sample of villages insouthern Cameroon, Lescuyer, Ngoumou Mbarga, and Bigombe Logo(2008) found that “the previously held negative assessment” of misuseof forest income “is not universal” and that “increasing numbers of villages. . . are making good use of this income.” They recommend thatfurther work be done to test these findings, and suggest that the redistributionof forest revenues Delivered will by improve The World Bank if communities e-library to: can receive fundsThe World Bankdirectly and become full partners IP : 192.86.100.34 in managing them, and if the entirespectrum of village interests Mon, 09 (and Nov 2009 not, 17:06:18 for example, those of a singleclan) is represented.(c) The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank