DR Congo
Fresh concerns over huge fossil fuel auction in DRC after government signs first gas production sharing agreements
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has awarded the first contracts in an auction of 30 oil and gas blocks in the tropical forest country to a forfeited company in the US and to another with no known experience in the industry, renewing concerns over the controversial tender. At a ceremony in … Read more
SUCCESS STORY: Economic Empowerment Through Community Cocoa Production in DRC
Today in the villages of Mibenga and Ilebo, nestled along the edge of the Tumba Lediima Nature Reserve in western Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), community members have been working hard to improve the cocoa production in their Community Forests as a way to boost their income while sustainably managing their forest lands. And … Read more
African Civil Society Decries Corporate Capture of the Africa Climate Summit
African Civil Society Decries Capture of the Africa Climate Summit by Corporate Interests As African leaders gather for the Africa Climate Summit, hundreds of African organisations have expressed concerns about the corporate capture of the event. The inaugural summit – held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 4 to 6 September – is billed as a crucial … Read more
A Step in the Right Direction: Publication of ICCN’s Guidelines for Grievance Mechanisms in DRC
In Kinshasa recently, an important step was taken towards securing the rights of the millions of people who live in the vicinity of national parks in the Democratic Republic of Congo. After a lengthy process involving consultation with local communities and civil society, ICCN (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature – Congolese Institute … Read more
A Make Or Break Moment: Fossil Fuel Expansion In The Amazon And Congo Basins Is An Existential Threat To Climate And Communities
Financial system decisions now pivotal to ending fossil fuel expansion in the world’s largest tropical rainforests Recent reports spotlight plans for fossil fuel expansion in some of the world’s most important ecosystems, and follow financial flows from major banks Banks, financial institutions, and their regulatory bodies have a key role to play in reducing threats … Read more
Congo in the Crosshairs: Oil and Gas Expansion Threats to Climate, Forests, and Communities
A new comprehensive mapping and analysis by RFUK and Earth Insight shows that oil and gas expansion in the Congo Basin is a rapidly accelerating existential threat to the global climate, and to the world’s second largest rainforest – including the tens of millions of people who live there. There is still time for African … Read more
Congolese civil society releases position paper calling into question the legality of DRC oil and gas auction
A group of environmental civil society organisations in the Democratic Republic of Congo have just released a position paper detailing the multitude of issues with the government’s auction of oil and gas blocks covering the country’s forests, threatening its carbon-rich peatlands, several protected areas and millions of local livelihoods. The CSOs express concern not only … Read more
Two landmark community forests awarded in the buffer zone of the Lomami National Park in DRC
In exciting news, two forest communities in the Maniema Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo have finally won the legal right to manage their ancestral lands, by setting them up as ‘Community Forests.’ These important legal titles give communities formal recognition and collective rights to the forests that they have traditionally lived in, and … Read more
Community Forests Bring Tangible Change: Reflections of Local Leaders from the DR Congo
Local representatives from the provinces of Equateur, Maniema, North Kivu, South Kivu and Mai Ndombe have all spoken on how securing their lands with community forests has brought palpable change for their communities. To sustain and build on the progress made, they also request continued support, and that promises of increased climate and biodiversity … Read more
Leading scientists back Congolese civil society call to increase forest community land rights to combat climate change
Ahead of crucial upcoming climate talks in Egypt this November, a gathering of international scientists has backed a Congolese civil society call to scale up recognition of indigenous peoples and other local communities’ rights as a key strategy in the fight against climate change. This month, RFUK’s community forest partners joined leading scientists from around … Read more