In Meyomessala, Cameroon, a Chinese chemicals company is threatening the local indigenous population. Sinochem International, the state-owned company, is producing rubber using resources in Meyomessala. The rainforest community is a haven for endangered wildlife and is home to 9,500 Bulu and indigenous Baka people. Over 55,000 hectares of the dense rainforest has been cleared in the last 7 years to source rubber. The deforestation has devastating effects on the endangered species and has removed the indigenous populations from their home with no compensation. Sinochem International promised $19,000 USD to the people of Meyomessala, but they received nothing and have had their farms taken. This violates the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, according to Greenpeace. Ironically, Sinochem’s website claims that they are “committed to producing a high-quality product that is sourced ethically and produced in a socially and environmentally-friendly way.”
I was shocked that a company would remove an entire population from their home in a foreign country. There is nothing to justify how the Bulu and Baka people were relocated to exploit the resources in the area, especially without any compensation from the company (which they were promised). It’s a crisis from a human rights and an environmental standpoint. The deforestation of the local rainforest, home to endangered species, is sure to cause Sinochem to come under fire. I wonder how the UN will enforce their actions, since it violates the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.