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International Labour Organization Project to Promote ILO Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (PRO 169) Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and Poverty Reduction Strategies in Cameroon Belmond Tchoumba Centre for Environment and Development, (CED), Cameroon 1 Copyright © International Labour Organization 2005 First published 2005 Publications of the International Labour Office enjoy copyright under Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention. Nevertheless, short excerpts from them may be reproduced without authorization, on condition that the source is indicated. For rights of reproduction or translation, application should be made to the Publications Bureau (Rights and Permissions), International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, or by email: [email protected]. The International Labour Office welcomes such applications. ILO / CED Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and Poverty Reduction Strategies in Cameroon Geneva, International Labour Office, 2005 ISBN 92-2-117268-0 WEB PDF 92-2-117149-3 CIP data: Also available in French: Peuples Indigènes et Tribaux et Stratégies de Réduction de la Pauvreté au Cameroun ISBN 92-2-217128-4, WEB PDF 92-2-217149-7, Geneva, 2005. ILO Cataloguing in Publication Data The designations employed in ILO publications, which are in conformity with United Nations practice, and the presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the International Labour Office concerning the legal status of any country, area or territory or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles, studies and other contributions rests solely with their authors, and publication does not constitute an endorsement by the International Labour Office of the opinions expressed in them. Reference to names of firms and commercial products and processes does not imply their endorsement by the International Labour Office, and any failure to mention a particular firm, commercial product or process is not a sign of disapproval. ILO publications can be obtained through major booksellers or ILO local offices in many countries, or direct from ILO Publications, International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland. Catalogues or lists of new publications are available free of charge from the above address, or by email: [email protected] Visit our website: www.ilo.org/publns Printed in Switzerland 2 Acknowledgements We wish to thank all those who, in one way or another, contributed to the undertaking of this study. Firstly, I am greatly indebted to the indigenous experts and all other specialists without whose devotedness helped ensure this study was carried out with no difficulties. These include, in particular, the following indigenous experts: Emmanuel Minsolo, Joachim Gwodog and Simon Kumbo. We are also indebted to other experts including Samuel Nnah Dobe, Thierry Georges Handja and Joseph Mougou of CED as well as Victor Amougou of CEFAID. We also benefited from the unreserved collaboration of the Mbororo Social and Cultural Development Association (MBOSCUDA) in Yaoundé and Bamenda. In particular we are grateful to Fadimatou Dahirou, Bouba Hawe, Aliou Saliou and Musa Ndamba. The Baka, Bagyeli and Mbororo communities encountered during our field visits to Lomié, Abong Mbang, Yokadouma, Bipindi, Akom II, Kribi and Wum showed us immense hospitality and demonstrated readiness and interest to answer our questions. May they find here the expression of our profound gratitude. Many thanks also to ILO colleagues in Yaoundé (Patricia Isimat-Mirin and Joseph Jean Marie Momo), and in Geneva (Francesca Thornberry) - for their pertinent remarks that contributed to the improvement of the final report. 3 Acronyms ASBAK Baka Association BWI Bretton Woods Institutions CADDAP Centre d‘action pour le développement durable des autochtones Pygmées CED Centre for Environment and Development CEFAID Centre pour l‘éducation, la formation et l‘appui aux initiatives de développement au Cameroun CEFDHAC Conférence sur les écosystèmes de forêts denses humides d‘Afrique centrale CEMAC Communauté économique et monétaire d‘Afrique centrale CTS Comité technique de suivi des programmes économiques ECAM Cameroonian Household Surveys FESP Forest and Environment Sectoral Programme FPP Forest Peoples Programme GNP Gross National Product HDI Human Development Index HIPC Highly Indebted Poor countries ILO International Labour Organization IMF International Monetary fund IPDP Indigenous Peoples Development Plan ITPs Indigenous and tribal peoples INADES National Institute for Economic and Social Development MBOSCUDA Mbororo Social and Cultural Development Association MDGs Millennium Development Goals MINAS Ministry of Social Affairs MINEPAT Ministry of Economic Affairs and Land Planning NGO Non Governmental Organization NPPD National Programme on Participatory Development OD Operational Directive PADC Programme to support Community Development PPDP Pygmy Peoples Development Plan PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper RACOPy Recherche-action concertée Pygmée STDs Sexually transmitted diseases UNDP United Nations Development Programme ZICGCs Community-based hunting zones 4 Contents Acronyms .................................................................................................................................. 2 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... 3 Executive summary .................................................................................................................... 6 I. Introduction....................................................................................................................... 9 1.1. Brief methodological overview............................................................................. 11 II. Socio-economic situation of indigenous and tribal peoples in Cameroon. ......................... 13 2.1. The Pygmy populations......................................................................................... 13 2.2 The Mbororo community ...................................................................................... 20 III. National poverty reduction efforts in Cameroon................................................................ 23 3.1. Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP)............................................................ 23 3.2. The National Programme for Participatory Development (NPPD) ...................... 24 3.3. Forest-Environment Sectoral Programme............................................................. 25 IV. Poverty reduction strategies and indigenous and tribal peoples ...................................... 27 4.1. Marginalisation of the indigenous and tribal peoples in the PRSP....................... 27 4.2 Indigenous peoples development plan (IPDP): A tool for the involvement of indigenous peoples in the NPPD and FESP? ............................................................... 27 4.2.1. Scope of application of the IPDP ....................................................................... 27 4.2.2. Content of the Indigenous Peoples Development Plan ...................................... 29 4.2.3. The restrictive nature of the IPDP...................................................................... 29 V. Mechanisms for consulting indigenous and tribal peoples ................................................. 31 5.1 Consultation of indigenous and tribal peoples in the PRSP process...................... 32 5.2 Some weaknesses of the mechanism for consulting the population in drafting the PRSP............................................................................................................................. 33 VI Indigenous concepts and indicators of poverty and concurrence with national indicators of poverty ................................................................................................................................ 37 6.1. Some national indicators of poverty in Cameroon................................................ 37 6.2. Indigenous concepts and indicators of poverty..................................................... 39 6.2.1. Perceptions of poverty of the Mbororo people.......................................... 39 6.2.2 Perceptions of poverty of the Pygmy populations ..................................... 41 VII. Indigenous and tribal peoples’ poverty alleviation strategies........................................... 45 7.1. Mbororo peoples’ poverty reduction strategies..................................................... 45 7.2. Pygmy strategies for reduction of poverty ............................................................ 46 VIII. Effects of poverty reduction programmes on indigenous and tribal communities.......... 50 8.1. Impacts of the PRSP on indigenous and tribal peoples......................................... 50 8.2. Impacts of the FESP on indigenous communities................................................. 51 8.2.1. Marginalisation.......................................................................................... 51 8.2.2. Discrimination........................................................................................... 52 8.2.3. Impoverishment......................................................................................... 52 IX. Conclusion and recommendations ..................................................................................... 53 Bibliography 58 Annexes