French

Investigation finds illegal tropical timber from the Democratic Republic of Congo may be finding its way into European markets

4 February 2020

A report by a French news agency [1] has exposed an industrial-scale illegal logging operation linked to high-level corruption in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following an investigation by the Rainforest Foundation UK’s (RFUK’s) partners’ and other NGOs The journalists, led by Jerome Garro, from TF1, found that ‘Long Xin’ (formerly known as ‘Maniema … Read more

Community Forests change lives: How a Congolese community won rights to their forest

20 December 2019

Ilinga received its official community forest title in September 2018 In September 2018, the community of Ilinga received its official community forest title. The community, whose traditional name means “Unity”, is one of eight in Equateur province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), supported by local NGO GASHE[1], as part of Rainforest Foundation UK’s DFID-funded … Read more

DRC government suspends logging company after civil society reports illegal rainforest logging

5 December 2019

A major illegal logging operation [1] has been halted by the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) government following monitoring by local non-governmental organisations and multiple complaints by forest communities. The DRC environment minister, last Friday (29th November), instructed the governor of the Tshopo Province to suspend the logging permit of the Chinese-owned FODECO [1] in … Read more

The realisation of social development projects by logging companies in forest communities: a reality or a utopia?

24 November 2019

Article provided by Eco-Dev – RFUK’s local partner in Cameroon A drilling pump in Metsing Village, Cameroon © EcoDev 2019 Rainforests are among the richest ecosystems in the world and have a vital importance for the populations who live within them. They are home to approximately 30 million people and provide livelihood subsistence to a … Read more

Women’s Participation in Community Forestry in the DRC

29 October 2019

Based on a literature review and field research with communities in Equateur province, this study provides an overview of gender inequalities in the context of community forestry in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It also puts forward recommendations for improving women’s participation in community forestry activities.

Community Forests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

2 October 2019

Strengthening forest communities’ rights and enabling them to manage their traditional lands is the most effective means of both protecting rainforests and fighting poverty. In 2014, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) passed Community Forest legislation in what is arguably the most ground-breaking legal development related to Congo Basin rainforests in recent years.

Allocation of Community Forests in the Central African Republic

28 September 2019

A process to test the legal framework on community forests is currently underway in CAR. For more than two years, local and indigenous communities have been supported by civil society in applying for the allocation of the pilot community forests. The process developed by those involved has been documented to provide a basis for a … Read more

Making Community Forestry Successful in DRC: Anthropological Perspectives on Community-based Forest Management

26 September 2019

In 2014, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) adopted ground-breaking legislation that enables forest communities to obtain “local community forest concessions” (CFCLs) of up to 50,000 hectares of their customarily owned lands, in perpetuity….

Area of community forests in DRC passes one million hectares, as RFUK helps DR Congo’s government with new tools

25 September 2019

Human rights and environmental charity, the Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK), and its local partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are formally handing over to the country’s government an online ‘database‘, providing accurate maps and essential information on all community forests. RFUK’s local partners, APEM, CAGDFT, GASHE, PREPPYG and Réseau CREF have helped develop … Read more

Real-Time Monitoring hits the ground running in the Republic of Congo

8 August 2019

RTM Congo Team THE REAL-TIME MONITORING (RTM) CONGO TEAM, TRAINED BY RFUK IN 2019, HAVE CAPITALISED ON THEIR TECHNICAL TRAINING BY RFUK TO DEPLOY THE SYSTEM IN TWO PILOT SITES Comptoir Juridique Junior (CJJ) is deploying “Real Time Monitoring” (RTM) and the ForestLink technology in the Republic of Congo following their technical training by RFUK … Read more