The National Commission for the rights of man and freedoms (CNDHL) of Cameroon has raised a strong protest against the refusal by the heritage society, the Electricity Development Corporation (EDC), on the basis that its mission was denied access to the construction site of the Lom Pangar hydroelectric dam where local workers complain of mistreatment from Chinese manufacturer.

In a note published on Wednesday, it affirmed that its delegation, which made a visit to the site in order to investigate claims, checks and the collection of information relating to the effectiveness or non respect of the rights of workers and the peoples as well as working conditions, was blocked at the security level by guards.

These security officers, argued to have had "firm instructions" not to allow access to the site for investigators. This ban follows other maneuvers of diversion from EDC, who had already invoked "the weather and technical constraints" as an excuse to block the fact-finding mission from their investigations.

CNDHL, which condemns in the strongest terms the inappropriate and improper decisions of EDC leaders, alleges that this poses a serious problem to the fulfillment of the public service tasks entrusted to it. These acts and other efforts to delay the manifestation of the truth, "appears very suspicious and are elements that can lead to the assumption that EDC has things to hide".

The Lom Pangar dam project, built by China International Water Corporation (CWE), is the subject of numerous complaints for violations against the rights of workers often punctuated by movements in the mood.

Beginning July, for example, Cameroonian workers had observed a three days work stoppage to demand better conditions of life and work, denounce abuse and racist acts committed by their employer.