Ranobe Communities’ Defenders
The nine human rights defenders of this group are members of the Benetse, Ampototse and Tsiafanoka rural communities in the South-West of Madagascar. These communities are composed mostly of farmers, fishers and stockbreeders. The HRDs participated in a protest organised in opposition to the Ilmenite extraction project being undertaken by Base Toliara mining company, which could have irreversible effects on their communities' health and livelihoods. They have become the face of the community's resistance since they were arrested for taking part in the protest.
Human rights defenders in Madagascar working on environmental rights including against illegal trafficking of natural resources, such as rosewood, and against extractive activities, as well as those working on corruption are particularly at risk.
