A Dubai company’s staggering land deals in Africa raise fears about risks to Indigenous livelihoods

By TAIWO ADEBAYO
Associated Press

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A raft of agreements between African countries and Dubai-based company Blue Carbon could give the company control over large swaths of land for conservation projects. In Liberia, 10% of the country’s land area is to be signed away, and 20% in Zimbabwe. Activists say that previous projects on the continent have led to human rights abuses, including forcible eviction of Indigenous communities, and have labeled them “carbon colonialism.” These projects are based on polluters’ purchase of carbon credits meant to offset their greenhouse gas emissions. Experts say it’s a market whose benefits are difficult to determine. Activists say the Blue Carbon agreements lack transparency and communities weren’t consulted. Blue Carbon didn’t respond to requests for comment.