An ALLIANCE culture to safeguard Africa's forests

According to one estimate,
there are about 50 million
indigenous people in Africa.
Estimates suggest that 8% of
the total Congolese population
is made up of indigenous
peoples, representing about 400,000 people 49 .
Most indigenous communities (often known
as Baka) live in northern Congo (in the Likouala
and Sangha departments) and represent a
very vulnerable segment of the population
that is particularly exposed to food insecurity,
malnutrition and poverty. Indigenous people
depend on the natural environment for income
and food, including hunting, gathering and
rainfed agriculture. Their livelihoods and food
security are therefore very sensitive to climatic
changes.
According to a survey of Baka residing in
Cameroon, when there is a dispute between an
indigenous person and a Bantu, the law that is
applied is in keeping with Bantu custom, and
this is not without its difficulties. 50 In 2011, RoC
became the first country in Africa to adopt a
law that specifically promotes and protects
the rights of indigenous peoples. However, the
relationship between local communities (often
referred to as 'Bantu') and indigenous peoples
is based on unequal economic alliances centred
on specific activities such as farming or hunting.
These relationships often favour the economic
interests of local communities over those of
indigenous peoples 51 . Indigenous women have
even fewer economic opportunities and are
therefore even more vulnerable than indigenous
men.
With a resident population of 16,000, including indigenous
peoples living in the Ngombé forest, IN-
TERHOLCO supports and uses FPIC (free, prior and
informed consent 52 ) as defined by the UN Permanent
Forum on Indigenous Issues 53 , as adopted by
the ILO 54 and as implemented by the FSC ©55 . FPIC
was developed by the international community
with the aim of protecting the cultural integrity,
livelihoods and rights, (including customary and
traditional rights) of indigenous peoples and local
communities and, above all, the right of indigenous
peoples to self-determination.
It is called "nina" in Lingala.
Although it is quite ugly, this fish is
popular and tasty enough. It can
be sold at 1,000 CFA per kilo at the
market in Ngombé. It is served with
tomato sauce and peanut paste.
I am a catechist in the Catholic
mission, which has almost ninety
followers. Attention is a cosmopolitan
village made up of several tribes.
I live off meat from the forest, fishing
and by working the fields - everything
that is at my level.
Thierry MOUANAGNO
Resident of Attention
A fisherman encountered on the banks
of the Kandeco River, the second most
important river in the Ngombé forest.
49
World Food Programme, Bétou.
50
https://www.voaafrique.com/a/la-détresse-des-peuples-autochtones-du-cameroun/5034265.html
51
https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/2013/Media/Fact%20Sheet_Africa_%20UNPFII-FR-12.pdf
52
Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free,_prior_and_informed_consent
53
United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, UNPFII ; https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/
54
C169 - Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169); https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEX-
PUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE:C169
55
FSC guidelines for the implementation of the right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) ; https://fsc.org/en/document-center/
documents/23275b28-3697-420e-9316-4092eeab1498
66 67