Beyond the situation in Apouh à Ngog, the case raises broader questions about the management of agro-industrial concessions, the protection of community land rights, and the role of the state in resolving conflicts between investors and local populations. (Photo credit : AFRISE)
Business Cameroon | 11 June 2026
Apouh-Socapalm Land Case Postponed to July 2, Residents Seek Return of Nearly 200 Hectares
The first court hearing in a land dispute involving the village community of Apouh à Ngog, in Cameroon’s Edéa I district, the Cameroonian government, and palm oil producer Socapalm did not take place on June 4 as scheduled.
According to available information, a power outage at the courthouse forced the postponement of the case. The matter has been rescheduled for July 2, 2026. The next hearing is expected to include the appointment of a reporting judge responsible for reviewing the case and presenting findings to the court.
The legal action, filed before an administrative court, concerns land parcels used by Socapalm in the Apouh à Ngog area. The dispute centers on five land titles—183 SN, 184 SN, 195 SN, 196 SN, and 197 SN—granted to Socapalm on August 10, 1960. According to the plaintiffs, an assessment conducted by Cameroon’s Ministry of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure found discrepancies between the areas covered by these land titles and the land actually occupied by the company.
On September 20, 2023, the ministry reportedly instructed the prefect of Sanaga-Maritime to establish, alongside relevant government services, a commission responsible for restoring and verifying boundary markers. Representatives of the local population say the instruction was never implemented. According to them, this administrative inaction led the chief of Apouh à Ngog village to file the case before the administrative court.
For Jean-Marc Touon, attorney for residents represented by the Association of Women Living Near Socapalm Edéa (AFRISE), the case is first and foremost a legal challenge against the Cameroonian state for abuse of authority. “We did not want to direct the action solely against Socapalm because the land titles, ministerial orders, and administrative acts were issued by the State of Cameroon,” he said.
Touon said the plaintiffs are not seeking the cancellation of the 1960 land titles. Instead, they want the court to recognize what they describe as encroachments and order the return of the disputed land to neighboring communities.
According to the lawyer, a gradual solution could be considered, with the contested parcels released in phases based on factors such as the age of existing plantations, under court supervision and with the agreement of all parties.
Land Tensions Intensified After Replanting Campaigns
Socapalm’s palm oil replanting programs, launched in 2023, have renewed tensions with residents of Apouh à Ngog and other neighboring communities. Residents argue that they have lost access to land they consider ancestral property and say restrictions have affected farming activities and household livelihoods.
A report by Green Development Advocates (GDA), a Cameroonian civil society organization, also questions the legality of certain land occupations in the area. The report cites a 874-hectare area allocated through prefectural order No. 066/AP/C18/SAAJP of March 3, 2021, to Apouh, even though the provisional concession was reportedly still undergoing administrative processing.
According to GDA, the situation suggests that agricultural activities may have started before the land was formally allocated. Touon also disputes the effectiveness of the tripartite consultations highlighted by Socapalm. According to him, the company carried out expansion or replanting operations on about 200 hectares without sufficient consultation with local communities and government authorities.
Socapalm rejects allegations of land irregularities. The company maintains that its land titles were legally issued by the Cameroonian state and says it operates in compliance with the law.
It also points to an ongoing land clarification process conducted with government authorities and neighboring communities.
A Case With Broader Implications
Socapalm is a Cameroonian public limited company. According to information published by the company, Socfinaf holds 67.46% of its share capital, while the State of Cameroon owns 22.36%. The remaining shares have been listed on the Douala Stock Exchange since 2009.
The July 2 hearing is expected to mark a new stage in a dispute that combines land, administrative, and social issues.
Beyond the situation in Apouh à Ngog, the case raises broader questions about the management of agro-industrial concessions, the protection of community land rights, and the role of the state in resolving conflicts between investors and local populations.
Frédéric Nonos
The first court hearing in a land dispute involving the village community of Apouh à Ngog, in Cameroon’s Edéa I district, the Cameroonian government, and palm oil producer Socapalm did not take place on June 4 as scheduled.
According to available information, a power outage at the courthouse forced the postponement of the case. The matter has been rescheduled for July 2, 2026. The next hearing is expected to include the appointment of a reporting judge responsible for reviewing the case and presenting findings to the court.
The legal action, filed before an administrative court, concerns land parcels used by Socapalm in the Apouh à Ngog area. The dispute centers on five land titles—183 SN, 184 SN, 195 SN, 196 SN, and 197 SN—granted to Socapalm on August 10, 1960. According to the plaintiffs, an assessment conducted by Cameroon’s Ministry of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure found discrepancies between the areas covered by these land titles and the land actually occupied by the company.
On September 20, 2023, the ministry reportedly instructed the prefect of Sanaga-Maritime to establish, alongside relevant government services, a commission responsible for restoring and verifying boundary markers. Representatives of the local population say the instruction was never implemented. According to them, this administrative inaction led the chief of Apouh à Ngog village to file the case before the administrative court.
For Jean-Marc Touon, attorney for residents represented by the Association of Women Living Near Socapalm Edéa (AFRISE), the case is first and foremost a legal challenge against the Cameroonian state for abuse of authority. “We did not want to direct the action solely against Socapalm because the land titles, ministerial orders, and administrative acts were issued by the State of Cameroon,” he said.
Touon said the plaintiffs are not seeking the cancellation of the 1960 land titles. Instead, they want the court to recognize what they describe as encroachments and order the return of the disputed land to neighboring communities.
According to the lawyer, a gradual solution could be considered, with the contested parcels released in phases based on factors such as the age of existing plantations, under court supervision and with the agreement of all parties.
Land Tensions Intensified After Replanting Campaigns
Socapalm’s palm oil replanting programs, launched in 2023, have renewed tensions with residents of Apouh à Ngog and other neighboring communities. Residents argue that they have lost access to land they consider ancestral property and say restrictions have affected farming activities and household livelihoods.
A report by Green Development Advocates (GDA), a Cameroonian civil society organization, also questions the legality of certain land occupations in the area. The report cites a 874-hectare area allocated through prefectural order No. 066/AP/C18/SAAJP of March 3, 2021, to Apouh, even though the provisional concession was reportedly still undergoing administrative processing.
According to GDA, the situation suggests that agricultural activities may have started before the land was formally allocated. Touon also disputes the effectiveness of the tripartite consultations highlighted by Socapalm. According to him, the company carried out expansion or replanting operations on about 200 hectares without sufficient consultation with local communities and government authorities.
Socapalm rejects allegations of land irregularities. The company maintains that its land titles were legally issued by the Cameroonian state and says it operates in compliance with the law.
It also points to an ongoing land clarification process conducted with government authorities and neighboring communities.
A Case With Broader Implications
Socapalm is a Cameroonian public limited company. According to information published by the company, Socfinaf holds 67.46% of its share capital, while the State of Cameroon owns 22.36%. The remaining shares have been listed on the Douala Stock Exchange since 2009.
The July 2 hearing is expected to mark a new stage in a dispute that combines land, administrative, and social issues.
Beyond the situation in Apouh à Ngog, the case raises broader questions about the management of agro-industrial concessions, the protection of community land rights, and the role of the state in resolving conflicts between investors and local populations.
Frédéric Nonos