Littoral: Babong natives say companies will no longer exploit their resources for no development in exchange

Inhabitants of Babong, a village in the Moungo division of the Littoral have vowed to stop the activities of national and international companies which exploit their forest resources with no contribution in the development of the enclaved locality.

“We don’t have good roads. Just take a look at the nature of our roads. We’re completely cut off from other towns in the Moungo Division. The wood exploiters have worsened the state of the seasonal roads which we have been managing with their heavy trucks,” a local cried out loud.

Apart from lack of passable roads, basic social amenities like pipe borne water, electricity, hospitals and schools are also lacking in Babong village.

“Babong has been abandoned. People think of this village only when they need our resources. We fetch water from streams to consume and do other house chores. If we don’t rise up against the exploitation of our forest resources, even these streams that save us will disappear and we will have no water to drink. Our sufferings are many,” another disgruntled Babong local said.

Following resistance from the population which recent wood exploiters have experienced, authorities in the Moungo division have called for a meeting with the natives, exploiters, forestry officials and other stakeholders to discuss the issue and find lasting solutions to the enlisted grievances tabled by the elites of Babong village.

Awa Wirikang, representative of the Senior Divisional Officer for the Moungo has pledged that the talks will pave a way forward for peaceful wood exploitation with the provision of passable roads, schools, hospitals, pipe borne water, electricity and more for inhabitants of the locality.