UN committee concerned about construction of power plant in French Guiana

The West Guyana Power Plant (CEOG) project has been contested for years by the inhabitants of Prospérité (or Atopo Wepe), an Amerindian village of the Kali'na ethnic group located two kilometers from the site. They consider the plant too close to homes and ask to find another location for it.

In a letter addressed on April 26 to the French representation in Geneva, which AFP was able to read on Thursday, the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Cerd) said it was "concerned" by the fact "that it "there would have been no consultation or free, prior and informed consent of the Kali'na people before the approval of the project" and "by the negative impact" of the project on their lands, resources and traditional way of life".

The committee, made up of 18 independent experts who have no power of constraint on States, also says it is concerned by "allegations of excessive use of force by law enforcement, detention, legal proceedings and of criminal convictions against leaders and members of the Kali'na people".

The complaint was filed at the request of the village's traditional chief, Roland Sjabere, by the Organization of Indigenous Nations of French Guiana (ONAG) with the support of the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), an NGO based in Geneva.

"The questioning of France by the Committee is a victory for the Kali'na people and for all the people who have given us their support in our fight to preserve our lands and our traditions", reacted Mr. Sjabere, in a ISHR press release.

“Attack on the rights of indigenous peoples”

In its letter, the committee explains that it "fears that the allegations received could constitute a breach of the obligations" of France vis-à-vis the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and "an attack to the rights of indigenous peoples.

The committee asks France to provide it with information before June 26 on the allegations, in particular on the measures taken to "protect the human rights of the Kali'na people" as well as those adopted or envisaged to modify the location or suspend the project "until free, prior and informed consent is obtained from the affected indigenous peoples".

Questioned by AFP, the French authorities affirmed that they would transmit "elements of response to the questions raised by the Committee within the allotted time frame".

This photovoltaic plant is intended, ultimately, to supply electricity to 10.000 homes via energy storage technology running on hydrogen.

The project, whose genesis dates back to 2017, brings together for 170 million euros the French investment fund Meridiam (60%), the Société Anonyme de la Raffinerie des Antilles (30%) and Hydrogène de France (10%). %).

The Prospérité village received the support of the League for Human Rights, but the center has rather a consensus among local elected officials who have mainly spoken out in its favor, Guyana being subject to frequent power cuts.