Indigenous Forest Peoples of Gabon Face Uncertain Future

Gabon covers an area of approximately 26.7 million hectares and maintains some of the largest remaining rainforest in West Africa. Although the actual extent of forest cover is unknown, experts estimate between 17-22 million hectares, or 85% of the total land mass (Christy et al 2003). Indigenous hunter-gatherer communities (known variously as the Baka, Bakoya, Bagama, Babongo, Akoa, etc.) are located throughout Gabon, and include numerous ethnic groups separated by locality, language and culture. According to the most recent census (Massandé 2005), the Pygmy populations number as many as 20,005 out of a total national population of approximately 1,400,000 (previous estimates 7,000-10,000). Due to colonial-initiated “regroupement” (resettlement) programmes1, many of these communities have settlements by the roadside, yet their livelihoods and cultures remain inextricably tied to the forest areas of the country. The roadside settlements form a part of wider settlement patterns that cross the forest landscape (Knight 2003). Forest peoples hold a unique position in wider Gabonese society as a result of their specialist knowledge in forest resources. With the current trends in timber extraction, and the anticipated ecological and social effects, this knowledge base and their way of life are severely threatened.