Since the arrival of multinational agribusiness company SOCFIN in 2011 as part of a large-scale investment in palm oil in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone;social conflict has raged in the Malen Chiefdom. SOCFIN is controlled by a Belgian businessman (Hubert Fabri) and the French group Bolloré;which has developed a business empire in many parts of Africa. This report found that affected communities who have lost access to and control over their land have been exposed to serious human rights violations and abuses since 2011. Several issues emerged;spanning from the rights to land;food;water and a healthy environment;to workersrights;women’s rights;the rights of the elderly and the right to education. Added to this are serious violations and abuses of civil and political rights;including the rights to peaceful assembly and association;physical integrity and clear cases of criminalization of human rights defenders. The report also points to serious allegations of corruption;lack of transparency and non-implementation of corporate social responsibility promises by SOCFIN.
Authors and Publishers
Konrad Hentze (Remote Sensing Research Group;University of Bonn
Data provider
Mokoro is pleased to host the ’Land Rights in Africa’ site as a contribution to the land rights dialogue and related debates. This website was created in January 2000 by Robin Palmer, and was originally housed by Oxfam GB, where Robin worked as a Land Rights Adviser. A library of resources on land rights in Africa – with a particular focus on women’s land rights and on the impact of land grabbing in Africa – the portal has been well received by practitioners, researchers and policy makers, and has grown considerably over the years.