Serious abuses of Baka “Pygmies” in southeast Cameroon, according to Survival International, at the hands of anti-poaching squads supported and funded by the World Wide Fund for Natur (WWF). According to the investigation released by Survival, the Baka are illegally illegally forced from their ancestral homelands because much of their land has been turned into “protected areas” – however including safari-hunting zones. According to Survival, rather than target the powerful individuals behind organized poaching, wildlife officers and soldiers pursue Baka who hunt only to feed their families.

 The Baka accused of "poaching" face arrest, beatings and torture. Many Baka claim that friends and relatives have died as a result of the beatings. Cameroon’s Ministry of Forests and Fauna, which employs the wildlife officers, is funded by WWF. WWF also provides officers with technical, logistical and material assistance. Without this support the anti-poaching squads could not function.

They face arrest and beatings, torture and death at the hand of anti-poaching squads supported by WWF.

Many Baka, reporting the abuses, refer to anti-poaching squads as “dobi-dobi” (WWF), since they do not distinguish between WWF and Cameroon’s Ministry of Forests and Fauna.

WWF has responded to the accusations - by expressing "profound indignation" at what he calls a "hateful attack by Survival International," although that does not rule out abuse to the Baka people in Cameroon may have been perpetrated by park officials. 

The association claims to have accepted the creation of a Commission on Human Rights, proposed by Survival, and declares himself fully available to provide all possible support to shed light on the matter. "Unfortunately - says WWF - the finger pointing instrumentally by Survival against the WWF and the resulting fuss instrumental raised in the media will not help you to find the culprit."

As a result of the loss of their land and its resources, many Baka have reported a serious decline in their health and a rise in diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS. And they fear going into the forest that has provided them with everything they need for countless generations.

A Baka man told Survival, “The forest used to be for the Baka but not anymore. We would walk in the forest according to the seasons but now we’re afraid. How can they forbid us from going into the forest? We don’t know how to live otherwise. They beat us, kill us and force us to flee to Congo.”

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