An estimated 100,000 people live on or within five kilometres of three oil palm plantations, Boteka, Lokutu, and Yaligimba, operated by PHC in northern Congo. Local communities claim that part of the plantations sit on land that was taken from them by the Belgian colonial administration. Land rights defenders and members of the Yalifombo community were arrested and are facing charges under the belief that they are being targeted for protesting against the violation of an agreement signed with Feronia and PHC in November 2018.
PHC workers have been forced to work with toxic chemicals across the plantations. The local communities’ source of drinking water is also reportedly contaminated as a result of PHC dumping untreated industrial waste.
