The government cancelled a controversial auction of 27 oil blocks<\/a> at the end of 2024 amid intense opposition from civil society and community groups, only to launch a major new licensing round in May, approving tenders for 55 oil blocks, 52 of them announced for the first time. These concessions now cover more than half the country, including vast swathes of intact forests, protected areas and critical community lands.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Now a spatial mapping and analysis lays bare the extent of the threat posed by this unprecedented expansion of extractive activity. Among the most concerning findings:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Despite the scale of these threats, resistance is growing. In June, civil society groups across the DRC and internationally, including many with whom we work closely, mobilised during a Week of Action to call out government institutions and multinational companies involved in the oil deals. The Our Land Without Oil campaign<\/b>, launched by a coalition of Congolese organisations, continues to build momentum, demanding the cancellation of these oil concessions.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n “Imagine: 39 million Congolese people, almost half the population, – and 64% of our forests could be directly affected by the awarding of these oil blocks<\/i>,”\u202fsaid Pascal Mirindi, Campaign Coordinator, Notre Terre Sans P\u00e9trole. “And all this while the government is promoting the ‘Kivu-Kinshasa ecological corridor’. Where is the logic? Where is the coherence? We are reminding our leaders that the Congolese people are the primary sovereign. We will not remain silent while certain people organise themselves to sell off our future.”\u00a0<\/i>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n RFUK joins our partners in urging the DRC government and its international partners to move away from harmful fossil fuelled development and towards a low-carbon future rooted in its vast renewable energy potential and rights of its forest communities. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n Read the full report\u00a0<\/b><\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n Share this:<\/p>\r\n Share on Email Email <\/a> \ud835\udd4f<\/i> Share on X X <\/a> Share on Facebook Facebook <\/a> Share on WhatsApp WhatsApp <\/a> Share on Linkedin Linkedin <\/a> \n\r\n
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![\"Forests](\"https:\/\/www.rainforestfoundationuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Report-front-cover-2.jpg\" "\\"Forests")
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