Who gains from saving nature
Ledger 1 : 33 — For each dollar financing nature-based solutions in 2023, about $33 financed activities harmful to nature. (UNEP)
Cases / Killings and repression of defenders · Cameroon · 2008–2020

WWF-supported ecoguards in Cameroon and CAR (Lobéké, Dzanga-Sangha)

Nature's voice · report
No measurement of the harm done to me here is on record.
Did nature suffer? Not measured.
What the record lacks: 2 none on record · 3 insufficient · 1 not measured · 2 disputed · 1 unclear See the gaps

Ecoguards trained and paid with WWF support were accused of beatings and torture around Lobéké in Cameroon, and WWF staff were accused of involvement in a rifle purchase in Dzanga-Sangha in the Central African Republic. An independent panel reported in November 2020 that it found no evidence that WWF staff directed abuses, and that WWF had not taken adequate steps once it knew of the allegations.

15Rifles allegedly bought from the army with WWF staff involvement, Dzanga-Sangha, 2009
Alleged by BuzzFeed News; about 2 million CFA francs reported unaccounted for. The independent panel found no evidence that WWF CAR provided or procured arms.

Status Latest dated item in the sources reviewed: the independent panel's report of November 2020; no prosecution or court ruling is recorded.

What?
Allegations of beatings, torture and burned huts by WWF-supported ecoguards around Lobéké (Cameroon), and of WWF staff involvement in a rifle purchase from the army in Dzanga-Sangha (Central African Republic); an independent panel found no evidence that WWF staff directed abuses but found inadequate steps once allegations were known. BuzzFeed News
Where?
Lobéké, Cameroon; Dzanga-Sangha, Central African Republic. BuzzFeed News
When?
Allegations known to WWF from 2008; rifle purchase alleged for 2009; child torture alleged for 2017; panel report 24 November 2020.
Who?
Gained
None on record
Lost
None on record
Harmed
  • Villagers around Lobéké, including an 11-year-old child (alleged, 2017) — Alleged beatings, torture and burned huts by ecoguards BuzzFeed News
Why?
The sources reviewed do not state a motive. The panel wrote that WWF placed its relationship with governments ahead of the safety of communities.
How?
WWF trained the ecoguards, paid salaries, provided vehicles and built housing; the Lobéké management plan provides for WWF to help organise "coups de poing" raids on villages. BuzzFeed News
6 of 6 questions answered from the record

What happened

The record, in order.

Around Lobéké in Cameroon, allegations were made of beatings, torture and burned huts by ecoguards. WWF trained the ecoguards, paid salaries and built housing. The record states that the park management plan provides for WWF to help organise "coups de poing" raids on villages.

BuzzFeed News published an investigation in March 2019 on ranger units that WWF funded or equipped in Asia and Africa. For Lobéké it recorded an allegation that in 2017 ecoguards, for whom WWF provided salaries and vehicles, tortured an 11-year-old child. For Dzanga-Sangha in the Central African Republic it recorded that WWF staff were involved in a 2009 purchase of 15 AK rifles from the army, with about 2 million CFA francs left unaccounted for. Further allegations in the record are that WWF helped ecoguards buy army weapons and hired Maisha Consulting to deal with the Seleka. BuzzFeed also reported that WWF ran informant networks.

Survival International had earlier filed a 228-page complaint against WWF with the Swiss National Contact Point under the OECD guidelines, on 10 February 2016. Talks broke down, and OECD Watch lists the case as "withdrawn".

WWF commissioned an independent panel chaired by Navi Pillay, a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which reported on 24 November 2020 across six countries. On WWF's role, the panel wrote that there were "no allegations that WWF staff directed or participated in any of these alleged abuses, and the Panel saw no evidence". For Cameroon it found that WWF had heard allegations "as early as 2008" and that "Until recent years, WWF had not taken adequate steps to fulfil that responsibility." For Dzanga-Sangha it "found no evidence that WWF CAR provided or procured arms" and judged the hiring of Maisha Consulting "necessary in the circumstances".

Across the network, the panel found implementation of WWF's human rights commitments "inconsistent. and especially weak in the Congo Basin countries", and that no agreements or memoranda of understanding with state partners contained human rights provisions and no donor project agreements before 2019 required human rights due diligence. It recommended codes of conduct for ecoguards as a condition of WWF support, complaint mechanisms, monitoring of patrols, and suspension and prosecution of accused ecoguards. WWF said it "embraces" the recommendations.

  1. 2008Cameroon: WWF hears allegations of ecoguard abuses, according to the independent panel
  2. 2009Dzanga-Sangha: alleged purchase of 15 AK rifles from the army involving WWF staff; about 2 million CFA francs reported unaccounted for
  3. 201610 February: Survival International files OECD complaint against WWF with the Swiss National Contact Point
  4. 2017Lobéké: ecoguards alleged to have tortured an 11-year-old child
  5. 2019March: BuzzFeed News investigation into WWF-supported ranger units
  6. 202024 November: independent panel chaired by Navi Pillay reports; WWF says it embraces the recommendations

What was said

Claims, in the words of those who made them.

“no allegations that WWF staff directed or participated in any of these alleged abuses, and the Panel saw no evidence”

Independent panel commissioned by WWF, report on WWF's role · November 2020

“Until recent years, WWF had not taken adequate steps to fulfil that responsibility.”

Independent panel commissioned by WWF, on Cameroon · November 2020

“found no evidence that WWF CAR provided or procured arms”

Independent panel commissioned by WWF, on Dzanga-Sangha · November 2020

“necessary in the circumstances”

Independent panel commissioned by WWF, on the hiring of Maisha Consulting · November 2020

“inconsistent. and especially weak in the Congo Basin countries”

Independent panel commissioned by WWF, on implementation of human rights commitments · November 2020

Where accounts differ

Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.

Did WWF staff or WWF CAR provide or procure arms in Dzanga-Sangha?
Press and investigations
BuzzFeed News

Reported that WWF staff were involved in a 2009 purchase of 15 AK rifles from the army, with about 2 million CFA francs unaccounted for, and that WWF helped ecoguards buy army weapons.

BuzzFeed News
Researchers
Independent panel commissioned by WWF

"found no evidence that WWF CAR provided or procured arms"; the hiring of Maisha Consulting was "necessary in the circumstances".

Did WWF act on abuse allegations in Cameroon when it learned of them?
Researchers
Independent panel commissioned by WWF

WWF heard allegations "as early as 2008"; "Until recent years, WWF had not taken adequate steps to fulfil that responsibility."

Communities and civil society
Survival International

Filed a 228-page OECD complaint against WWF on 10 February 2016; talks broke down and OECD Watch lists the case as withdrawn.

OECD Watch

How it looked

What was shown, beside what was recorded.

Shown

  • WWF trained the ecoguards, paid salaries and built housing in Lobéké.
    Sources reviewed, including BuzzFeed News · BuzzFeed News
  • The Lobéké park management plan provides for WWF to help organise "coups de poing" raids on villages.
    Sources reviewed

Recorded

  • BuzzFeed News reported allegations of beatings, torture and burned huts by ecoguards in Lobéké and, for 2017, the torture of an 11-year-old child by ecoguards whose salaries and vehicles WWF provided.
    BuzzFeed News
  • BuzzFeed News reported that WWF staff were involved in a 2009 purchase of 15 AK rifles from the army in Dzanga-Sangha, with about 2 million CFA francs unaccounted for.
    BuzzFeed News
  • Survival International filed an OECD complaint against WWF with the Swiss National Contact Point on 10 February 2016 (228 pages). Talks broke down; OECD Watch lists the case as withdrawn.
    OECD Watch
  • The independent panel found WWF heard allegations from Cameroon "as early as 2008".
  • The panel found serious allegations reached WWF's senior management in 2014–2018, that advisers' reports were softened before reaching the board, and that WWF placed its relationship with governments ahead of the safety of communities.
  • No agreements or memoranda of understanding with state partners contained human rights provisions, and no donor project agreements before 2019 required human rights due diligence.

Who gained

Money that reached nature, beside money that stayed elsewhere.

Reached nature or the ground

Not published
No figure published.

Gained elsewhere

Not totalled
Currency: · Window: . All figures cover the same period. * Estimate built from cited figures.

Responses on record

  • wwf (November 2020): Said it "embraces" the independent panel's recommendations: codes of conduct for ecoguards as a condition of WWF support, complaint mechanisms, monitoring of patrols, and suspension and prosecution of accused ecoguards.

In court and with insurers

Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.

Lawsuits and rulings

  1. 2016-02-10–Outcome not on record
    Survival International v WWF (OECD complaint)
    Swiss National Contact Point, OECD · International court · Survival International → WWF

    A 228-page complaint filed under the OECD guidelines. Talks broke down; OECD Watch lists the case as "withdrawn". OECD Watch

Insurers

No insurer decision on record.

What nature saw

Outcomes measured on the ground, and nature's note.

Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.

Panel finding on WWF staff directing abuses
None found
Independent panel, November 2020: no allegations that WWF staff directed or participated, and no evidence seen
Time between first allegations and adequate steps (Cameroon)
From 2008
Panel: allegations heard "as early as 2008"; adequate steps not taken "until recent years"
Prosecutions of accused ecoguards in Lobéké or Dzanga-Sangha
None on record
The panel recommended suspension and prosecution of accused ecoguards

What we don't know

Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
No court case

Nature

  • Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.

Court

  • Unclear Survival International v WWF (OECD complaint): outcome not on record.

Figures

  • Insufficient Weapons purchased: AK rifles allegedly bought from the army in Dzanga-Sangha with WWF staff involvement (BuzzFeed News). The panel found no evidence WWF CAR provided or procured arms.
  • Insufficient Unaccounted: Amount reported as unaccounted for in the alleged rifle purchase.
  • Insufficient Children affected: 11-year-old alleged to have been tortured by ecoguards in Lobéké.

Accounts

  • Disputed Did WWF staff or WWF CAR provide or procure arms in Dzanga-Sangha?
  • Disputed Did WWF act on abuse allegations in Cameroon when it learned of them?

Record

  • None on record No directors-and-officers insurance or insurer settlement has been documented for WWF in connection with the allegations.
  • None on record The panel's detailed findings on Lobéké and Dzanga-Sangha are known only from the quotations and summaries in the sources reviewed.

Did the harm stop?

The sources reviewed do not record whether the alleged abuses in Lobéké and Dzanga-Sangha stopped. WWF said it embraces the panel's recommendations (codes of conduct, complaint mechanisms, patrol monitoring, suspension and prosecution of accused ecoguards).

Who paid?

According to the allegations, villagers around Lobéké bore the beatings and torture; the sources reviewed do not record compensation.

Sources

Voices on record: — Company or project— Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations✓ Communities and civil society— Researchers

Press and investigations

Communities and civil society

Connected cases

Related matters, and cases linked to this one through the same organisations, with the role each played in both.
Terms used on this page

Institutions

OECD complaint
A complaint filed with a government's National Contact Point under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises; the process is mediation, not a court.
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