The Indigenous World 2025: Cameroon

Written on 25 April 2025. Posted in Cameroon

Among Cameroon’s more than 20 million inhabitants, some communities self-identify as Indigenous. These include the hunter-gatherers (Pygmies), the Mbororo pastoralists, and the Kirdi.

The Constitution of the Republic of Cameroon uses the terms “Indigenous” and “minorities” in its preamble; however, it is unclear to whom this refers. Nevertheless, with developments in international law, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, and the government are increasingly using the term “Indigenous” to refer to the above-mentioned groups.

Together, the Pygmies represent around 0.4% of the total population of Cameroon. They can be further divided into three sub-groups: the Bagyéli or Bakola, estimated at around 4,000 people; the Baka, estimated at around 40,000; and the Bedzang, estimated at around 300 people. The Baka primarily reside in the eastern and southern regions of Cameroon. The Bakola and Bagyéli inhabit an area of approximately 12,000 km² in the south of Cameroon, particularly in the districts of Akom II, Bipindi, Kribi, and Lolodorf. The Bedzang live in the central region, northwest of Mbam in the Ngambè-Tikar area.

The Mbororo people living in Cameroon are estimated to number over one million, making up approximately 12% of the population. They primarily reside along the borders with Nigeria, Chad, and the Central African Republic. Three major groups of Mbororo are found in Cameroon: the Wodaabe in the Northern Region; the Jafun, who live mainly in the North-West, West, Adamawa, and Eastern Regions; and the Galegi, popularly known as the Aku, who live in the East, Adamawa, West, North-West, and North Regions.

Cameroon voted in favor of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007 but has not ratified ILO Convention 169.

This article is part of the 39^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous activist Funa-ay Claver, a Bontok Igorot, standing alongside Indigenous youth activists and others. They are protesting against the repressive laws and human rights violations suffered through the actions and projects of the Government of the Philippines and other actors against Indigenous Peoples at President Marcos Jr’s national address on 22 July 2024 in Quezon City, Philippines. The photo was taken by Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas and is the cover of The Indigenous World 2025 where this article is featured. Find The Indigenous World 2025 in full here

Legislation

Recent implementing regulations for Law No. 2021/014 of 9 July 2021, which governs access to genetic resources, their derivatives, and the traditional knowledge associated with them, have been enacted.^[1] These regulations aim to ensure benefit-sharing in favor of Indigenous Peoples. Decree No. 2023/07526/PM of 6 October 2023, whose implementation began in 2024, covers a wide range of issues related to access to genetic resources and their derivatives, including general conditions of access, traditional knowledge, mutually agreed terms, Access and benefit-sharing (ABS) permits, and benefits derived from these resources.

Key articles include:

• Article 10(1): Indigenous Peoples or local communities with traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources must establish a Community Biocultural Protocol (PBC).
• Article 10(3): The Community Biocultural Protocol (PBC) provides a basis for negotiating agreed terms on access to associated traditional knowledge.
• Article 11(1): Access to associated traditional knowledge requires a request submitted to the Indigenous population or local community through the competent National Authority.
• Article 11(2): The request must be submitted in a manner appropriate to the lifestyle and culture of the Indigenous population.

Through its ABS program, the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED) has issued 30 research permits.^[2] Among these permits, 10 contracts have been signed, for which two were signed with the Baka communities in Ntoum, East region, and the Bagyéli/Bakola in the South, Ocean Division. The Pimbu community, which is a local community, has perceived some benefit at the research stage amounting to around USD 20,000.

Although there is a rich legal framework governing ABS in Cameroon, the focal point, Dr. Aurélie Taylor Dingom,^[3] expressed some concerns regarding unscrupulous researchers who succeed in manipulating the laws to the detriment of Indigenous and local communities, something that needs monitoring to avoid Indigenous communities’ genetic resources and their Indigenous knowledge falling prey to such persons.

Programs for Indigenous Peoples

On 30 July 2024, the 12^th session of the Inter-sectorial Committee for Monitoring Programs and Projects Involving Vulnerable Indigenous Populations (CISPAV)^[4] in Cameroon was held. It ​​was opened by the Minister of Social Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Irène Nguène, who indicated that the objective of the CISPAV session was to evaluate the level of implementation of government recommendations to fight the marginalization of Indigenous populations.

The evaluation of government programs and projects in favor of vulnerable Indigenous populations was structured around several presentations.

The presentation of the Ministry of Basic Education (MINEDUB) and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education (MINJEC) highlighted the actions carried out by these ministries, namely: the creation and opening of public and private functional literacy centers; programs and awareness campaigns on health issues such as nutrition, hygiene and disease prevention; and on the civil rights of Vulnerable Indigenous Peoples (VIPs). Difficulties encountered regarding education included the lack of financial means among Indigenous parents; most schools being far from Indigenous communities; insecurity, as Indigenous children are often attacked by neighboring children; language barriers; and discrimination and stigma, all of which contribute to low enrollment rates of Indigenous children in schools. Additional challenges include a lack of birth certificates, limited access to health services, and insufficient resources to support youth projects.

Solutions proposed include providing scholarships to Indigenous students in state-run schools, facilitating birth registration, strengthening financial mechanisms by creating specific funds to support Indigenous entrepreneurship, and enhancing intercommunity dialogue.

The Foundation for the Environment and Development in Cameroon (FEDEC) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reported that they were working to secure the community forests in the Nova area and supporting Indigenous communities in the exploitation of non-timber products and in the elaboration of simplified management plans for their benefit. FEDEC has also established a community forest for an Indigenous community in Ngoyang, Lolodorf District, Ocean Division, South Region, and supported education for Indigenous children around the communal forest of Yoko and in Lolodorf in the Center Region (funding part-time teachers in certain schools), as well as health outreach by deploying health campaign units in remote areas.

The Mbororo Social and Cultural Development Association (MBOSCUDA) has focused on education and the socio-economic empowerment of the Mbororo community. They supported communities in Mayo Banyo Division of the Adamawa to produce 3,000 birth certificates for children and 1,500 identification cards, with the support of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM). Réseau Recherche-Actions Concertées Pygmées (RACOPY) has been working towards combating the stigmatization of Indigenous Peoples and has supported various Indigenous forest populations (Baka, Bakola, Bagyéli, and Bedzang) through sensitization and advocacy for self-determination, recognizing their traditional chieftaincies and implementing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Association Sanguia Baka Buma’a Kpode (ASBABUK) and the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife (MINFOF) to secure access rights to four National Parks in the East Region.^[5] It has also supported ASBABUK to create four offices for focal points within the parks. The Baka have started fishing within the Lobéké National Park.

Recommendations from the 12^th Session of CISPAV included geolocating each government program or project benefiting Indigenous populations and referring the issue of a lack of identity cards to the General Delegation for National Security (GDNS) via the CISPAV technical secretariat in order to establish mechanisms for issuing national identity cards to Indigenous populations.

Events on 8 August 2024

In the lead-up to the 30^th International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, activities were organized by the Gbabandi Association, Cameroon’s national platform for Indigenous forest peoples, and chaired by Mrs. Tjeck Victoire née Ngo Ntang, Deputy Director for Combating Social Exclusion at the Ministry of Social Affairs (MINAS).

In her speech, the representative of MINAS outlined the objectives of the celebration, including promoting the rights of Indigenous populations to facilitate their social inclusion and encouraging the involvement of Indigenous youth in biodiversity conservation. The representative of the organization Well Grounded highlighted that they had implemented an “Indigenous leadership program” with the aims of healing Indigenous Peoples’ communities from historical trauma, rebuilding confidence, self-determination and self-transformation. Through this program, Indigenous Peoples receive training in office tools, including Google Drive, enabling them to scan civil status and identity documents and create a database for their secure storage.

Celebrating International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

The official ceremony of the day took place under the theme “Access to citizenship: a fundamental right for Indigenous Peoples” and was held at the Mont Febe Hotel in Yaoundé on 9 August 2024. Minister for Social Affairs Nguène welcomed participants, including government agencies, technical and financial partners, non-governmental organizations, and Indigenous Peoples' organizations.

She noted that the inaccessibility of the areas inhabited by Indigenous Peoples creates the misconception that they seek isolation. This perception contributes to discrimination and prejudice, which must be addressed. In reality, these communities inhabit lands rich in resources and biodiversity but they rarely benefit from them. She further emphasized that the lack of birth certificates remains a critical concern, as four out of 10 children do not have one.

She noted that some progress had been made toward the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in decision-making processes, such as the election of municipal and regional councilors and appointments to some government and Senate positions. Several cross-cutting initiatives were being implemented to ensure their inclusion in education, civil status registration, and other essential services.

The Director of National Solidarity at the Ministry of Social Affairs (MINAS), Mr. Georges Edmond Makita, outlined measures taken by the State to address these challenges, including: digitizing civil status documents; establishing additional birth declaration centers in remote localities; increasing budgetary and material resources for local councils; promoting inclusive education; implementing the first phase of universal health coverage; and modernizing identity document issuance through digitization.

He said that these reforms were of utmost importance in promoting Indigenous Peoples' rights, and he emphasized the need for increased collaboration, particularly with local administrations, to ensure Indigenous Peoples fully benefit from these reforms.

Indigenous youth

Over the past 15 years, Indigenous youth have played a central role in advocating for their rights and those of their communities. Approximately 60% of Indigenous organizations are led by Indigenous youth, who actively participate in national and international forums. They are present at nearly all climate summits and actively engage in negotiations.

At the national level, significant strides have been made towards Indigenous youth education, especially for the hunter-gatherer communities who have lagged behind the most. Notably, 20 Indigenous students from their communities are now enrolled in universities, one woman has been appointed as deputy sub-Divisional officer, five students have joined the School of Forestry and Wildlife, six have been trained in the police academy, and three have become medical nurses.

Indigenous Peoples and conservation

The signing of a new MOU,^[6] No. 0077, between the MINFOF and ASBABUK granting access to the Baka to four National Parks in the East Region of Cameroon is in its implementation phase with some major activities such as: publicizing the MOU around the Lobéké National Park, putting in place four focal offices for the four parks with focal points and organizing meetings with the safari business owners in three of the parks for some methods of implementing the MOU.

Together with the Baka communities around the parks, ASBABUK and RACOPY have carried out a knowledge generation and transmission workshop.

Human rights and land rights violations

Femicides were on the rise in Cameroon in 2024 with the Government Department in charge of Women’s Empowerment and the Family documenting 76 cases as of November 2024. Most of the cases documented were due to the media coverage they received. There is no exhaustive data on gender-based violence, especially femicides, and most of the time the statistic is furnished by civil society organizations.

Despite the high level of femicides in Indigenous communities, they do not receive the same level of media attention as cases in the cities.

Cases of femicides in Indigenous communities include that of Ngueye Yolande from Missoumé village on the outskirts of Abong Mbang District of the East Region^[7] on 15 June 2024, after an exhausting hard day of labor on the farm. She was lying on her bed resting while her five-month-old baby was crying. Her partner arrived home and started beating her because the baby was crying. He broke her neck, and she died on the spot. The matter is being prosecuted through the courts. Nguembe Yolande was assassinated in June 2024 by her Bantu partner in the village of Adouma, and Foula Akono Chantal from Missoumé village was killed on her farm in November 2024 by an unidentified person.^[8] Aissatou Bouba was stabbed by her stepson in June 2024 and died from her wounds in the District of Dshang in the West Region of Cameroon. Jacqueline Pelo, from the locality of Tengue, Boumba and Ngoko Division in the East Region, was a victim of intimate partner violence when her husband, in an outburst of anger during a fight, inserted an object (piece of wood) into her vagina causing serious bodily harm.^[9] The perpetrator is in custody awaiting trial.

The reign of insecurity in some regions of Cameroon, such as the three Northern regions and the two English-speaking regions, is a cause for concern. Kidnapping and demands for high sums of ransom from pastoralists continue to be on the rise in the Mayo Rey Division of the North region of Cameroon. The killing of MBOSCUDA Regional President Northern Region Mr. Salihou Moussa, on 11 November 2024 at Mayo Rey^[10] Division is a glaring example. He was kidnapped and his kidnappers demanded payment of a ransom. It was paid but he was still killed.

There were many conflicts over land rights and resources, particularly in the localities of Moukounounou and Mikel in the Division of Boumba and Ngoko, East Region, where the Baka people are subjected to human rights abuses. Some Baka men entered into contractual agreements to rent out their cocoa farms to some Bantu men. However, the contracts were falsified into agreements of sale, thus appropriating the farms of four Baka men^[11] (Ngandjokou Aimer, Bassai Martin, Apandjo David et Andou Edouard). The Baka have made a complaint to the competent authorities for the restitution of their farms, and the litigation is pending resolution.

Hawe Hamman Bouba is Commissioner for Human Rights at the Cameroon Human Rights Commission. She is a former expert member of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities and Minorities in Africa of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and she is Executive President of the African Indigenous Women Organization Central African Network (AIWO-CAN).

This article is part of the 39^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous activist Funa-ay Claver, a Bontok Igorot, standing alongside Indigenous youth activists and others. They are protesting against the repressive laws and human rights violations suffered through the actions and projects of the Government of the Philippines and other actors against Indigenous Peoples at President Marcos Jr’s national address on 22 July 2024 in Quezon City, Philippines. The photo was taken by Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas and is the cover of The Indigenous World 2025 where this article is featured. Find The Indigenous World 2025 in full here

Notes and references

^[1] Decree No. 2023/07526/PM of 6 October 2023 laying down the conditions for implementing Law No. 2021/014 of 9 July 2021.

^[2] Interview with Mrs. Dr Dingom Aurélie, focal point for the Nagoya Protocol on 14 January 2025 in Yaoundé.

^[3] Ibid.

^[4] The concerns of Indigenous Peoples are examined within the framework of the Inter-sectorial Committee for Monitoring Programs and Projects Involving Vulnerable Indigenous Populations (CISPAV). It was created through a Ministerial Act in 2013 to coordinate and harmonize all the actions of various stakeholders involved in the promotion and protection of the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

^[5] National Parks of Lobeke, Nki, Boumba Bek, and Ngoyla fauna.

^[6] MOU No. 0077 between MINFOP and ASBABUK, granting access to spaces and resources to Baka communities within the national parks of Lobeke, Nki, Boumna Bek, and Ngoyla fauna and their surroundings to carry out their traditional activities of 19 September 2023.

^[7] Hélène Ayé Mondo, Executive President of the Centre of Support for the Sustainable Development of the Baka Peoples (CADDAP).

^[8] Ibid.

^[9] Report from Bibi Johnson, president of the association Sanguia Bakabuma’a Kpode (ASBABUK).

^[10] Report of Roufaou Mohamadou, Secretary General of the Mbororo Social and Cultural Development Association (MBOSCUDA), Adamawa Regional office.

^[11] Report from Bibi Johnson, president of the association Sanguia Bakabuma’a Kpode (ASBABUK).

Tags: Land rights, Youth, Human rights, Indigenous Peoples Rights