Expropriation et vulnérabilité des communautés affectées par les projets dits structurants : cas des populations de Nyabizan, sud Cameroun.

Abstract

The implementation of a large-scale project is generally characterized by a large land hold, thus causing the infringement of the secular land rights of the populations affected by them. Hence the writing of this thesis entitled “Expropriation and vulnerability of communities affected by so-called structuring projects: the case of the populations of NYABIZAN, South Cameroon”, this research was carried out, with the aim of raising the impacts of so-called structuring projects on the quality of life of the host populations. Thus, this research is based on the main question: how to account for the current standard of living of the expropriated populations of NYABIZAN ? This question gave rise to a series of questions and secondary hypotheses, the main one of which stipulates that it is possible to account for the quality of life of the populations of this locality through the socio-economic and cultural transformations that are observable today.The verification of this hypothesis required the mobilisation of a theoretical framework and practical tools. Thus we resorted to sociocritical analysis, as theorised by Georges BALANDIER and Jean ZIEGLER; and the structurofunctionalism of Talcott PARSONS… as regards data collection, we adopted the qualitative method. We used interviews and observation. The analysis of the collected data was done through content analysis. The results of this research reveal that in Cameroon, several legal provisions govern expropriation for public purposes and impose compensation on those affected. However, despite these provisions and even when international standards in this area are applied, the affected local communities show vulnerability and remain exposed to predatory behavior that manifest itself in the confiscation of their land rights. Similarly, the compensation received is generally not proportional to the damage caused, which despite the irrational management of the funds paid to these populations as compensation in certain cases, is at the forefront of the causes of the precariousness of the peoples affected by development projects. Therefore, for them to be effective, the improvement of the systems of expropriation and compensation as well as the promotion of income-generating activities appear as the appropriate solution to guarantee a relatively better standard of living for the populations victims of expropriation in the framework of so-called structuring projects.