There are many Canadian connections to this story, including the agribusiness company Feronia, which now stands accused of complicity in the murder of an activist and the incarceration of five others in the DRC.

A letter has been sent to financier CDC Group PLC by a group of environmental NGOs demanding answers about investments in palm oil company Feronia Democratic Republic of Congo

Les signataires d'une lettre appellent à la libération immédiate de 5 villageois emprisonnés depuis plus de 5 mois en RDC, pour des fausses accusations liées à un conflit foncier avec la société canadienne de plantation de palmiers à huile Feronia Inc.

Groups issue petition calling for the immediate release of 5 villagers in the DR Congo imprisoned for over 5 months on false charges related to a land conflict with the Canadian oil palm plantation company Feronia Inc.

A security guard for the Canadian oil palm plantation company Feronia Inc was acquitted on 4 February 2020 for the murder of Joël Imbangola Lunea, an environmental activist and member of the organisation RIAO-RDC.

Un chef de sécurité de la société canadienne de plantation de palmiers à huile Feronia Inc a été acquitté le 4 février 2020 pour le meurtre de Joël Imbangola Lunea, un défenseur de l'environment et membre de l'organisation RIAO-RDC en RD Congo.

With the aim of improving its financial resources, management is in on-going discussions with its lenders and major shareholders and is reviewing various short and long term financial alternatives.

Bien que HRW mette directement en cause la responsabilité des entreprises Feronia et PHC, ce sont bien les banques de développement européennes qui financent les entreprises qui sont principalement la cible de ce rapport.

The loan to the Canadian palm oil company operating in the DR Congo is provided by CDC Group plc, the UK Government’s development finance institution, and follows another $5 million facility announced on October 28, 2019

Today’s Human Rights Watch report concerning our shared investment in PHC/Feronia highlights the need for further investment to improve environmental and working conditions

NGOs call on the CDC Group and all the development banks involved in the Feronia-PHC oil palm plantations to publicly issue a clear statement of support for the mediation process and to ensure the security of participating community members.

The UK development bank has been accused of failing to protect workers from exposure to dangerous pesticides and paying “extreme poverty” wages on palm oil plantations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.