When drought leads to hunger, the inhabitants of the village of Massaha gather under the bubinga tree (Guibourtia tessmannii) to invoke the ancestral spirits of the ancestors and ask that the fishing trip be abundant. This, like others, is one of the traditions that take place in the forest as big as Paris located in the north-east of Gabon, a treasure trove of biodiversity considered sacred by the local population, also because in that place there are the remains of past cultures. And yet, the continuous eagerness for progress and the need to exploit timber had even prevailed over history and traditions some time ago: the authorities had granted permits to the Chinese companies that wanted to deforest there. But people like Arsene Ibaho, 43, the man who leads his community’s fight to preserve the forest and save the bubinga and kavingo trees, has vowed not to give up until the Chinese bulldozers are gone.
The conference
Indigenous peoples make themselves heard at Cop15: “We are the guardians of biodiversity”
by Emanuele Bompan
Ibaho is one of the two hundred inhabitants of Massaha, a village in the vast province of Ogooue-Ivindo more than six hundred kilometers from the capital Libreville, a place that thrives on fishing and nature. Here, the visitors who arrive are smeared with red clay on their foreheads to “connect with the ancestors” and then they walk, together with the villagers, up to the sacred trees: in the local language, the Kota, Ibaho conducts a ritual at the feet of the older trees that locals believe bring good luck to fishermen during the dry season. A ritual, as well as all the biodiversity of the precious forest, threatened by continuous deforestation: for months the Chinese company Transport Bois Négoce International (TBNI) – after obtaining authorizations for specific areas of forest – has been cutting down the trees all around Massaha, sometimes invading – say the inhabitants – even some of the areas considered sacred.
To safeguard the area, however, Idaho and the other inhabitants have done everything, even writing appeals directly to the Minister of the Environment of Gabon, Lee White. The minister finally decided last year to meet with community members and visit ancestral villages and traveled to the foot of a bubinga tree to witness fishermen’s ceremonies. After the trip, the holder of the dicastery was convinced. “It is not only the forest that speaks to me, but also the ancestors. We came to Massaha to better understand the community’s request, they feared that forestry activities would destroy their sacred places, but we want to reassure them: we will ask companies to leave quickly and to remove all remaining assets from the site, in order to preserve the area”. Ibaho and other community members celebrated. “We ourselves knew that the minister could not refuse our request – said the spokesman for the group – we have shown proof of our history. Even if a part of the forest has already been destroyed, we will replant it. It is a huge relief and we are very grateful to the minister”.
Biodiversity
Agreement reached at COP15 to protect 30% of the planet by 2030
by Cristina Nadotti
Now, thanks to the efforts of the inhabitants of Massaha, a legal status will soon be decided which will be of great importance as this will be the first protected area in Gabon established at the request of a local community and at the same time the country will demonstrate its commitment to achieve the “30X30” target indicated by COP15 on biodiversity. The story of the willpower of the people of Massaha could also inspire other communities to do the same and create a model where the villages themselves will engage in forest conservation. For Ibaho it is a great satisfaction, so much so that in the meantime – waiting to concretely give life to the protected area – it has already chosen a future name for the site: it will be called “Ibola Dja Bana Ba Massaha”, which in the Kota language means ” the reserve for all the children of Massaha”.