Kinshasa, October 2, 2024 – In a press release sent to KilaloPress, Greenpeace Africa expressed its outrage over the illegal timber exploitation in Bolomba, where two Chinese companies, COKIBAFODE and SCIFOR, are engaged in blatant plundering of forest resources. This alert follows a press conference held on September 27 by the National Network of Independent Observers (RENOI) and several Congolese civil society organizations.
The revelations are damning: a shipment of 3,300 cubic meters of illegally harvested timber, amounting to about 900 logs, was recently transported from Bolomba to Kinshasa. Greenpeace Africa denounces what could be classified as an environmental crime, stressing that logging is one of the main drivers of deforestation in the region.
“This exploitation is a direct assault on the rights of local communities and the biodiversity of our country. We call on the judicial authorities to intervene immediately to seize this shipment,” stated a representative of Greenpeace Africa.
The statement also highlights other irregularities, including the companies’ failure to honor commitments made to local communities and deficiencies in marking on certain logs, which compromise the traceability of the timber. Furthermore, COKIBAFODE’s concessions are in conflict with other concessions, illustrating once again the poor governance that plagues the forestry sector in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“It is scandalous that a company can continue to operate in a conflicting concession. These abuses only exacerbate the governance crisis in the forestry sector,” emphasizes Greenpeace.
In light of this situation, Greenpeace Africa calls for immediate mobilization of all stakeholders to protect the Congolese forests. Civil society urges the Public Prosecutor’s Office near the Kinshasa/Matete Court of Appeal to seize the timber shipment to ensure it is not diverted to other destinations, a precautionary principle essential until justice is served. The illegal timber exploitation in Bolomba must not go unnoticed. Defending the environment and the rights of local communities is a collective responsibility. It is time to take action and hold accountable those who unscrupulously exploit the natural resources of the DRC.
By Franck Zongwe Lukama