In a move that has sparked outrage among environmental and human rights campaigners, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has approved the opening of 52 new oil blocks in the Cuvette Centrale peatlands – the world’s largest terrestrial carbon sink and a critical ecosystem for biodiversity.

The decision, announced during the Council of Ministers meeting on 2 May, has drawn sharp criticism for its lack of transparency and the risks it poses to DRC’s forests and its international commitments. Despite assurances from the Minister of Hydrocarbons that experts from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development had been consulted to ensure protected areas limits were respected, no public maps or documentation have been released, raising fears that critical conservation zones, including protected areas, may still fall within these new concessions.

Concerns are also mounting over the overlap between the new blocks and the recently created Green Corridor, a vast new community reserve the size of France, established by the DRC government as evidence of its ‘solutions country’ role in the fight against climate change. The expansion of oil exploration into the peatlands not only threatens to derail the Green Corridor’s ambitions but also risks undermining DRC’s credibility with international partners and donors supporting climate and conservation efforts.

This latest attempt to revive fossil fuels ambitions in the country echoes the failed auction 27 of oil blocks launched in July 2022 that was cancelled in October 2024 amid widespread criticism over its lack of feasibility, legal irregularities and environmental and human rights risks.

Another controversy involves the revival of three additional oil blocks in the peatlands allocated to COMiCO, totalling 55 blocks in the region. A 2018 Global Witness investigation highlighted unresolved issues regarding the opaque procedures and ownership structure of these concessions.

In response, the coalition Notre Terre Sans Pétrole, representing 176 Congolese and international organisations, has issued a statement denouncing the decision as ‘a destructive choice’ that sacrifices forests, local communities and climate integrity in favour of short-term fossil fuel interests. The full statement can be read here.

Vittoria Moretti, RFUK DRC Forest Campaigner, said “As DRC presents itself as a climate leader on the global stage, the gap between rhetoric and reality is becoming harder to ignore. Rather than doubling down on extractive development, the government should embrace a path that genuinely protects forests and the communities who serve as their true custodians”.