Kinshasa (Kilalopress) – During a press briefing held on Wednesday, April 10 in Kinshasa, Civil Society Organizations gathered under the Climate Redd Renovated Working Group (GTCRR) vigorously rejected Greenpeace Africa’s recent allegations regarding the allocation of new conservation concessions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This controversy arises in a context marked by a series of major events across the country.
The controversy was triggered by a statement from the NGO Greenpeace Africa, accusing the Minister of the Environment, Ève Bazaiba, of violating the Congolese forest code by granting approximately 1,000,000 hectares to the American company Wildlife Work Carbon (WWC) through its subsidiaries Era Congo, SORFA, and WWC Congo. These allegations elicited a strong response from GTCRR, which considers them as maneuvers to divert the attention of the Congolese population from the country’s true issues.
GTCRR categorically contested Greenpeace Africa’s estimates, describing them as misleading and non-objective. During a press conference in Kinshasa, GTCRR emphasized that the concessions in question were awarded in the interest of indigenous and local communities, without violating any legal provisions. Furthermore, GTCRR provided precise figures of the concessions awarded, thus refuting Greenpeace Africa’s claims.
“What is true, Greenpeace Africa’s tendentious estimates presented in a global manner are neither coherent nor objective. Where does the 1 million hectares of forests allocated to WWC come from? Where are these forests granted to the same WWC company illustrating a million hectares?” stated GTCRR.
The actual figures of the concessions awarded are as follows, according to GTCRR:
- ERA Congo Sarl: 188,835 hectares in the Basankusu Territory,
- SORFA Congo Congo Sarl: 114,000 hectares in the Bikoro territory and 282,950 hectares in the Basoko territory,
- WWC Congo Sarl: 299,995 hectares in the Businga territory.
GTCRR also criticized Greenpeace Africa’s lack of initiatives in favor of local communities, denouncing the lack of concrete projects for their benefit.
“Nowhere have we seen a single toilet built by Greenpeace for the communities. They have published false data,” denounced Guy Kajemba, National Coordinator of GTCRR.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing a series of challenges in various areas, such as persistent political tensions, teacher strikes, joint security operations, and controversies surrounding the death penalty.
This situation raises concerns about the impact of these events on the stability and progress of the country.
While the debate over conservation concessions rages on, the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to face a series of multidimensional challenges, requiring careful and balanced management. Transparency and fairness in the management of natural resources are crucial elements to ensure sustainable development and the well-being of local communities.
By Franck Zongwe Lukama
