Deal #4467

Côte d'Ivoire
Created at
2014-09-22
Last update
2022-08-25
Last full update
2022-08-25

Names of communities / indigenous peoples affected

Name of community
Famienkro,
Koffessou-Groumania,
Timbo

Recognition status of community land tenure

Recognition status of community land tenure
Indigenous Peoples traditional or customary rights recognized by government
Comment on recognition status of community land tenure
the peasants had returned to farming on the site after the plantations were abandoned. Permission granted to the State to use the land for the sugarcane plantation and not a transfer in the legal sense of the term

Consultation of local community

Community consultation
Not consulted

How did the community react?

Community reaction
Rejection
Comment on community reaction
From 20-22 July 2015, the villagers of the three impacted villages held peaceful demonstrations against the occupation of their land and the destruction of their sacred plantations and forests on the plots granted to CHP. It was the largest demonstration ever since the beginning of the conflict. During the intervention of the Gendarmerie two people were shot dead in Famienkro and two more subsequently died and many peoples were arrested and detained in M'Bahiakro prison. these populations initiated multiple approaches to the Prefect and sub-Prefect of Prikro, the Director of the Department of Agriculture, Prikro, the Ministry of Agriculture, the interministerial delegation in Famienkro, the President of the National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire, the Director of the CHP, the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Côte d’Ivoire, the President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire.

Presence of land conflicts

Presence of land conflicts
Yes
Comment on presence of land conflicts
Communities opposed a land registration application for 11,000 hectares in the regional district Baoulé from April 2014 and the government argued it owns the disputed area, which farmers were compensated for over destroyed crops when Sodesucre was established, and that vacant and unoccupied lands belong to the state. However, compensation of crops is not the same as terminating ownership rights and the lands were certainly not vacant.

Displacement of people

Displacement of people
Yes
Comment on displacement of people
Many women from the three villages and their children, fled the gendarmerie crackdown and remained refugees away from their homes for several months.

Negative impacts for local communities

Negative impacts for local communities
Displacement, Violence
Comment on negative impacts for local communities
The community resist and conflict over land, between the communities, the government and the company.

Promised benefits for local communities

Promised benefits for local communities
Other
Comment on promised benefits for local communities
Food: The project also entails a rice planting program for the benefit of the local community.

Materialized benefits for local communities

Materialized benefits for local communities
Health
Comment on materialized benefits for local communities
No contribution to education as at 2019 (it is not clear whether this was promised). One clinic as at 2019.