Inongo, September 24, 2025 – The province of Mai-Ndombe witnessed a milestone event with the official launch of the Support for Land Security and Local Development (ASFD) project. Led by the NGO Actions for the Promotion and Protection of Threatened Peoples and Species (APEM) and funded by Rainforest Trust with technical support from Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK), this four-year initiative aims to return the keys of forest management to local communities.
Opening the ceremony, the provincial governor, His Excellency Nkoso Kevani Leban, emphasized the urgency of action:
“At a time when the effects of climate change are being felt around the world—and especially here in Mai-Ndombe—it is vital that all stakeholders work together to halt environmental destruction and the abusive exploitation of natural resources.”
He praised the project as “perfectly aligned with the Local Development Plan,” noting that the 2002 Forest Code now allows communities to obtain free forest concessions—“a major step forward enabling residents to manage what has traditionally belonged to them in a sustainable way.”
APEM’s national coordinator, Maître Blaise Mudodosi, thanked the partners and highlighted the stakes:
“It is inconceivable that a country holding more than 60% of the world’s second-largest tropical forest mass sees its people living below the poverty line. The ASFD project seeks to reverse this trend by giving communities the tools to secure their forests and transform natural wealth into resources that improve living conditions.” He called on all parties—authorities, civil society, and traditional chiefs—for “a patriotic and collaborative vision” so that community forestry can become a true driver of development.
George Tchatchambe, RFUK’s national coordinator, recalled more than two decades of engagement with Congo’s forest communities:
“From participatory mapping in 2006 to the adoption of the National Community Forestry Strategy, we have worked to ensure that customary rights are recognized and respected. Together with APEM and our partners, we continue this mission by helping 13 communities in Oshwe territory secure their forest concessions and strengthen their resilience.”
Also present was Jean-Pauline Mansoir-Poulokako, advisor to the governor on community development and coordinator of the Provincial Agency for Agricultural and Livestock Development, who expressed encouragement: “We are truly pleased. Nearly nine years ago, forest mapping and governance activities began in Mai-Ndombe, for which I served as coordinator under Cademe. Yet communities still face many difficulties managing their ancestral lands. Initiatives like this bring clarity and enable communities to truly reclaim and sustainably manage their lands.”
This launch marks the start of close collaboration among authorities, technical partners, and local populations to make the Mai-Ndombe forest a model of community conservation and shared prosperity. Running from 2025 to 2028 in the Kangara sector of Oshwe territory—an ecological corridor between Salonga National Park, the Oshwe Hunting Domain, and the Mangai Hunting Domain—the project will directly support thirteen local communities. They will receive assistance to obtain Local Community Forest Concessions (CFCL), establish strong governance mechanisms, and receive training in the sustainable management of fisheries, wildlife, and agriculture.
Economic activities around non-timber forest products will strengthen livelihoods while protecting biodiversity and water sources. By placing residents at the heart of governance, APEM and its partners show that biodiversity conservation and improved living conditions go hand in hand. As Governor Nkoso Kevani Leban concluded:
“Together, let’s protect the forest ecosystems of Mai-Ndombe and work for local development based on the security and sustainable management of our forests.”
By Kilalopress