Tribunal in Lagos to Listen to Environmental Degradation cases and Human Rights violations

The first session of the African Peoples Tribunal will be holding from November 25 to 27, 2020 in Lagos Nigeria by the Friends of the Earth Africa through its Forest & Biodiversity.

According to the Tribunal the affected communities and civil society will bring testimonies on cases of human rights violations and environmental degradation connected with monoculture tree plantation expansion from 10 countries across Africa.

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The main priority of the tribunal is based on the principle of recognising human rights under natural, national, and international law, and reclaiming and restoring the rights of impacted peoples whose rights have been violated with impunity.

Speaking at the event, Rita Uwaka, coordinator of the African Friends of the Earth Forest and Biodiversity Programme, says: “Aggressive land-grabbing and deforestation for expansion of industrial tree plantations are causing a new wave of oppression and colonisation in Africa, with devastating impacts on people, including differentiated and aggravated consequences for women.”

Amongst the accused companies are Socfin, Green Resources AS, Golden Veroleum Liberia (controlled by Golden Agri-Resources), SIAT SA, OLAM and PZ Wilmar who will be answering to the allegations of the the 10 cases, international financiers, including development banks, private banks, investment funds and pension funds from all corners of the world, are found to be controlling and financing the controversial rubber, palm oil and timber plantation companies.

Five jurors will hear and interrogate the case presenters and provide a verdict on day three of the Tribunal. They include Ikal Angelei from Kenya who won the 2012 Goldman Environmental Prize for Africa and is involved in campaigns against dams; Nnimmo Bassey, director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) from Nigeria; and Prof. Alfred Apau Oteng-Yeboah – a Professor of Botany at the University of Ghana.

Friends of the Earth Africa says it will continue to fight alongside indigenous peoples and local communities affected by transnational corporation operations to stop any attempts to expand industrial tree plantations and dismantle corporate power across African region. And finally calls on the industrial plantation companies to stop their “harmful” activities across the whole continent. Friends of the Earth Africa urges public and private decision makers to work with civil society and communities to bolster the transition to community based agro-ecology and forest management land-use.