Oil Drilling Plans Put Congo’s Pristine Forest and Rare Wildlife in Danger
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is home to rare wildlife like mountain gorillas, bonobos, forest elephants, and numerous endemic birds, as well as the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest. But much of this land is now at risk.
A new report by Earth Insight has sounded the alarm over the DRC government auctioning rights to 52 oil blocks ? in addition to three already awarded ? covering more than half the country. The areas include vital gorilla habitat, protected lands, and the Cuvette Centrale peatlands, which store massive amounts of carbon, helping slow climate change.
The oil blocks further overlap with land where about 39 million people live, including many Indigenous communities who depend on forests and rivers for survival. Critics warn drilling could damage ecosystems, destroy livelihoods, and harm cultural heritage.
Pascal Mirindi of the group Notre Terre Sans P?trole (Our Land Without Oil) called the plan a “sale of our future.” Conservationists urge the government to cancel the auctions and protect the forests, saying oil development would threaten both the DRC’s biodiversity and the planet’s climate.