Goma: Oil in Virunga National Park, Environmental and Social Challenges at the Heart of the Debate

In Goma, during a social dialogue organized by Congo Nouveau asbl on Thursday, July 4, 2024, Me Jovial Bakulu, a prominent member of ACEDH, captivated the audience by shedding light on the crucial issues surrounding oil exploitation in the graben of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Me Jovial Bakulu underscored the major challenges linked to hydrocarbon exploitation, particularly in local communities and fragile ecosystems. He advocated for an absolute priority to be given to “social and environmental safeguarding” before any decision on oil exploitation. He vehemently expressed his firm opposition to the exploitation of Blocks 4 and 5 of the Albertine Rift, located within Virunga National Park in North Kivu, stating that it would severely compromise the environmental interests of current and future generations in the region.