In Kisangani, the situation facing environmental defenders in Tshopo Province is raising serious concern. In a statement dated 21 February 2026, around twenty civil society organizations specializing in environmental protection and social rights warn of a series of criminal proceedings targeting local climate and environmental activists. According to these groups, the cases—described as “judicial gag actions”—are allegedly orchestrated or facilitated by certain mining companies operating in the region.
Led by the non-profit Congolese Alert for the Environment and Human Rights (ACEDH), the initiative calls on the Public Prosecutor attached to the Tshopo Court of Appeal. The statement highlights a recurring pattern: activists who denounce illegal or destructive extractive activities subsequently face targeted legal actions, often disproportionate in nature. These prosecutions, the organizations argue, are intended to silence criticism, undermining environmental protection principles and the rights of local communities.
According to the signatories, these mining companies—sometimes holders of vast land concessions obtained through “questionable” practices—carry out their operations in blatant disregard for the environment, causing open-pit degradation. The impacts are numerous: loss of biodiversity, pollution of soils and waterways, and increased health and socio-economic risks for local populations. Local sources report that some political authorities, at both provincial and national levels, have turned a blind eye to these violations, leaving vulnerable communities exposed to exploitation.
To substantiate their claims, ACEDH and its partners under the CLIDEF Program recall several documented cases of judicial harassment. These actions, deemed “unjust,” persist despite the existence of Law No. 23/027 of 15 June 2023, which enshrines the protection of human rights defenders, as well as key environmental legislation. Activists thus find themselves accused of often fabricated offenses, facing potentially severe penalties—constraints that limit their ability to act and threaten their legal security.
ACEDH invokes Article 53 of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which recognizes everyone’s right to a healthy environment and the duty to defend it, to remind the State of its responsibility to protect the environment and public health. In this context, the organizations are calling for vigilance and solidarity from judicial actors and the international community, so that these forms of silencing cease and those responsible for unlawful prosecutions are identified and held accountable.
Observers note that this appeal underscores a troubling dynamic: in a region rich in natural resources yet socially and ecologically fragile, environmental defense remains closely tied to power balances among mining companies, local authorities, and activists. The coming weeks could prove decisive for the evolution of these relationships and for the effective enforcement of recently adopted legal protections in the DRC.
By Kilalopress