Advocates for Community Alternatives | 30 May 2025IFC plays Pontius Pilate, dodges accountability for harmful rubber project in Liberia after six years
In 2019, 22 communities in Liberia filed a complaint with the World Bank Group’s Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), accusing the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of fueling abuse and environmental destruction through a loan to the Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC). That loan helped SRC expand its rubber plantations—with devastating consequences.
Nearly six years on, in March 2025, the CAO published its damning findings: the IFC failed to follow its own safeguards, enabling widespread harm to land rights, community health, and cultural heritage. Women suffered, with disturbing reports of sexual exploitation by SRC contractors who demanded sex in exchange for jobs or wages.
But rather than take full responsibility, IFC Management responded with a weak action plan that – aside from a livelihoods fund that should provide some welcome livelihoods support to the impoverished populations of plantation-adjacent communities – leans on voluntary reforms by SRC’s former owner, Socfin, and its new buyer, Jeety. Civil society groups say this move amounts to passing the buck.
“The CAO has validated the long-standing concerns expressed by local communities: that the International Finance Corporation (IFC) not only overlooked critical issues but also allowed its client to illegally seize land, contaminate vital water sources, and perpetuate various forms of violence and abuse,” stated Alfred Lahai Gabbai Brownell Sr., a lawyer representing the 22 affected communities and the winner of the 2019 Goldman Prize for Africa. “Now, the IFC is playing Pontius Pilate, washing its hands, asserting that it is powerless to take any corrective measures merely because the loan has been repaid. This is not a demonstration of accountability; rather, it constitutes a profound abandonment of responsibility towards those impacted.”
The communities’ complaint details how SRC’s expansion left entire villages landless, razed crops without compensation, and disregarded ancestral land claims. Toxic chemicals leached into waterways. Women faced systemic sexual violence. And throughout, IFC continued to finance the project, despite knowing SRC lacked the capacity—or will—to protect people or the environment.
The CAO agreed with almost all of the communities’ claims and urged IFC to commit to real remediation. But because the CAO can only make recommendations, it’s up to IFC Management to act—and so far, its response falls short.
Key concerns with IFC’s response include:
No accountability for land rights violations: IFC refuses to examine whether the plantation was built on land the government had no right to give away.
No proper analysis of Indigenous identity: IFC sidestepped the question of whether the affected Kpelle communities are Indigenous, citing generalizations rather than facts on the ground despite an abundance of expert testimonies and very strong recommendations from the CAO.
A shameful and diluted compensation plan: IFC proposes to create a livelihood fund that is spread across all surrounding communities—not just the 22 complainant villages—potentially weakening the communities’ support network and failing to address specific harms.
Shrugging off responsibility: IFC claims it has no leverage since the loan was repaid and the plantation was sold. But the CAO clearly states IFC could have, and still might, use legal remedies to demand accountability from SRC.
Delaying action: Claiming that the security situation in the communities is too unpredictable, IFC management has declared that the implementation of its assistance plan will be delayed until an undetermined date in the future.
While we welcome the CAO’s clear and courageous findings—and hope the livelihoods fund offers some relief—we reject IFC’s decision to wash its hands, and walk away from the communities it helped harm. The burden of fixing this mess should not rest on the goodwill of private plantation owners. IFC must step up, accept responsibility, and ensure the communities finally get justice.
The Affected Indigenous Communities are shocked and overwhelmed by their frustration and condemnation of the IFC and those voices are captured in this press statement as follows:
Ma. Mattia Gbar, Chairlady, Martin Village: “We depend on our land and forest for everything, fishing, making farm, medicine for treatment when we are sick, and other activities, but since SRC took our land, everything is hard for us. So, why will they say we are not traditional people? Let them pay for everything they did to us.”
Yeagbamah National Congress for Human Rights, a victim of SGBV, name withheld for her protection: “I and other women were asked for sex just to get or keep a job with the company. This is not just unfair—it is violence. It can hurt women and keep them afraid and silent. The IFC’s action plan talks about protecting people and fixing harm, but what about the women who suffered this violence and abuse? We want to see real action, not just promises. The IFC and the company must make sure this never happens again and that we women get justice. Respect for women must be part of the solution, said, SGBV victim from SRC.”
Mr. James Gorgbor, Elder, Gorgbor Town: “Look, I have always said that IFC supported SRC to kill us on our own land. I worked for SRC for so many years until I fell sick, and the management left me on sick bed and paid me off without any benefit. They took 95% of my land and destroyed all of the rubber I planned for my children. Their Management Action Plan is beating around the bush. What I can say is, let them pay for our crops according to the COA Compliance Report, because we don’t know who will implement the Management Action Plan.”
David Shiffa, Elder, Shiffa Molley Villiage: Let IFC pay for all the harms. One thing I can say is we are traditional people and if IFC do not believe that, I think they should bring someone to check on the way we are living. We have lived here for so long practicing our culture, and we believe in our tradition.”
Ma. Quetta George, Chairlady, Doakai Town: “The thing SRC did to us with this IFC money is not good. The company took the money and came on our land and cut our rubber down and planned their rubber. Today some of our rubber is among their rubbers and they’re tapping it. They did not pay for our rubbers, and they also destroyed our town. The CAO report says they must pay for it, they made a plan for the report, and who will work with the plan, because SRC is going, and Jeety says he bought the plantation.” So, let IFC pay for all our things the company spoiled and give our land back.”
Pastor. Melton Gweh, Elder, Gleebah Town: “IFC told us that, since 2020 they have no contract with SRC, and the COA report says that IFC should work with SRC to address our complaint. IFC has come up with a Management Action Plan, who will implement the plan since SRC is going? We are calling on the IFC to be the ones to implement the plan in line with CAO recommendations.t”
Equally disturbed and deeply betrayed by the IFC’s inadequate actions are also the leadership of the supporting organizations that tried to work with the IFC to resolve the violent abuses perpetrated by the IFC client. Those voices are also captured below:
Francis Colee, Head of Program and Acting Director at Green Advocates International “While we can thank the IFC management for some of the actions they have taken to assist the victims in the Management Action Plan (MAP), it is disappointing that the IFC greatly undermined the victims’ ability to receive real benefits for the harm they suffered because of the IFC’s failure to effectively apply its own definition of Indigenous peoples, as clearly and succinctly provided in the IFC Performance Standards. This makes the IFC complicit in the harm these people suffered.”, Francis Colee, Head of Program and Acting Director at Green Advocates International
Paul Larry George, Chairman, of Alliance for Rural Democracy (ARD): “I welcome the recommendations and findings of the CAO report and believe that the recommendations and findings are evidence of the voices and struggles of affected communities, who have long demanded justice for the harm caused by the IFC’s financing of SRC’s operations. I am deeply troubled that, despite overwhelming evidence of abuse, SRC has chosen to neglect responsibility for the damages caused by allegedly divesting the company to an Indian businessman Jetty, whom we believe will not uphold or take full accountability for implementing the IFC so-called MAP”.
Windor B.K. Smith, Head of Secretariat, Alliance for Rural Democracy (ARD), “I believe that, IFC is hiding under the escape tactic of SRC to neglect its responsibility to the affected communities. I am calling on the IFC and its client, SRC, to take full responsibility for the harm caused to the lives of Indigenous communities and fully respond to the concrete recommendations and findings in the CAO report. True accountability requires more than a repaid loan that IFC speaks of. It requires compensation, recognition of Indigenous rights, and a clear plan for remediation. The ARD is very disappointed with the IFC MAP and is calling on the IFC to honor the CAO’s recommendations, work directly with the impacted communities, and ensure that justice is not delayed or denied.”
Abraham N. Kamara, Chairman, Yeabamah National Congress for Human Rights (YNCHR): “I am calling on the IFC to take full responsibility of the harm done to us as Indigenous Communities. The Management Action Plan released by the IFC, does not address the complete recommendations proposed by the CAO, and we think this is unfair to us, because I have advocated for so long that I am now disabled from the blindness I suffered when the state and SRC security forces arrested me and sprayed a tear gas canister directly into my eyes.”
Veronica B. Gray, Acting Head of Secretariat, Natural Resources Women Platform (NRWP), “The CAO report confirms what women in affected communities have been saying for years—we have lost land, our environment is damaged, and women have faced threats, harassment, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) without protection or justice. These are not isolated incidents; they are the result of intentional, willful, reckless, and systemic negligence. The IFC cannot hide behind SRC’s divestment. Real accountability means compensation, recognition of rights, and direct action to repair harms. Anything less is injustice. We believe that justice that is delayed or diluted is, in effect, justice denied. The lives, dignity, and lands of Liberian communities must not be collateral damage for profit”,
Contact information for Media Inquiries
Jonathan Kaufman (Advocates for Community Alternatives): +1 617 645 4069, [email protected]
Francis Colee (Green Advocates International): +231-777-770-206, [email protected]
Paul Larry George (Alliance for Rural Democracy): +231-777-216-981, [email protected]
Windor B Smith (Alliance for Rural Democracy): +231-886-726-037, [email protected]
Veronica Gray (Natural Resources Women’s Platform): +231-888-312-250, [email protected]
Abraham Kamara (Yeabamah National Congress for Human Rights: +231-775-071-272
Ma. Quetta George (Doakai Town): +231-881-758-466
Pastor. Melton Gweh (Gleebah Town): +231-886-933-720
Mr. James Gorgbor (Gorgbor Town): +231-886-111-928
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