October 17, 2023 – The Congolese State is expected to appear before the court to answer for its culpable silence in the destruction of forest, lake, and other ecosystems in the Virunga National Park in eastern DRC.
The Congolese NGO Action Congolaise pour l’Environnement et le Droit de l’Homme (ACEDH) is behind this legal action. According to lawyer Olivier Ndoole, these environmental crimes have reached alarming proportions in recent years.
The destruction of biodiversity has become a headache for the authorities. This is not an act of bad faith, but rather a legal action to protect the threatened environment. “It is in the interest of the Republic that we have taken this initiative, so that the authorities take measures to protect and save what little is left of biodiversity,” justifies Lawyer Ndoole.
The legal action filed by ACEDH highlights the illicit exploitation of the Virunga National Park, the government’s inaction in the face of criminal occupation of this protected area, as well as the violation of agreements on climate justice and biodiversity conservation. These threats persist in the Kilolirwe, Bwiza, and Sun City areas, on the outskirts of the Rutshuru and Masisi Territories.
On-site, illegal occupations, the transformation of park ecosystems into logging and charcoal production areas, and the trafficking of protected species are commonplace. A report by environmental defense organizations recently alerted to these trafficking activities, involving, notably, the Ugandan contingent invited under the EAC framework.
ACEDH also emphasizes the problem of displaced and refugee populations, a major issue overlooked by the Congolese State in the protection of land, fishery, and animal resources, as well as in the illicit occupation of the park. For example, the Kibati displaced camp is a hub of natural resource destruction, with hundreds of hectares already cleared.
The organization expects the court to pronounce a sentence against the Republic, demanding emergency measures to restore environmental order. It specifically calls for action against subversive forces, corrupt elements within the FARDC and the Ugandan contingent, as well as against illegal occupants and exploiters of the park.
This legal action highlights the urgency of protecting the ecosystems of the Virunga National Park and preserving the biodiversity of this region.
The Congolese State will have to answer for its silence in the face of these environmental crimes. Let’s hope that this legal action will help safeguard this globally important natural heritage.
Flavien Muhima
