Cameroon: 4000 workers at Sosucam plantation protest delayed payments & poor working conditions; alleged violent response by security results in worker death; incl. co. response
In February 2025, it was reported that almost 4000 workers employed by Sosucam (part of Somdia) went on strike at the end of January to protest delayed payments, changes in payment methods and poor working conditions.
Sosucam allegedly called security forces to the strike, at which point the strike escalated violently and one worker was killed. The violence drew criticism from a French member of the European parliament, alongside government officials in Cameroon, including opposition leader Maurice Kamto, who said “Bosses who love their company and respect their staff […] do not call in the security forces carrying weapons against their employees”, according to The Caravel.
The protests follow allegations last year of precarious employment conditions, including safety violations, environmental pollution, and police interrogations of labour rights activists.
…Sosucam is 74% owned by the French agro-industrial group Somdiaa, which is itself controlled by Castel, a major player in Africa’s beverage industry. Mesure reminded the European Commission that, under the EU’s new corporate due diligence directive, companies headquartered in EU member states must be held accountable for labor practices in their overseas operations.Business in Cameroon
Sosucam allegedly met with union leaders and agreed to increase workers’ salaries by CFA 1000, alongside other measures such as improving health insurance benefits. However, Business in Cameroon also reports some workers feel the salary increase is “insufficient”, and some workers have allegedly chosen to return home as they felt "disheartened by the lack of satisfactory responses from management to their demands”.
In May 2025, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre invited Sosucam to respond to the reporting. Its response can be read in full below.