“It’s our job to fight back and dismantle the fossil fuel economy, hold accountable those who profit off corporate greed, and build a world that puts a livable planet and public interest first…”

Fossil Free Virunga

Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the most biologically diverse areas on the planet. It was classified in 1979 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site but has been at the crossroads of an intense conflict for oil, involving foreign fossil fuels interests, armed militia groups, and corrupted officials for almost a decade now.

The Park holds a special significance to the hundreds of thousands of people who depend on it for their livelihoods. It is also home to a multitude of Africa’s bird species, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, medicinal plants, and other rare and endangered species.

It’s our job to fight back and dismantle the fossil fuel economy, hold accountable those who profit off corporate greed, and build a world that puts a livable planet and public interest first. This is what Fossil Free Virunga is about – a story of four activists who are speaking up and fighting to protect their home, for all of our futures.

Say no to oil exploration in Virunga!

We are calling on the Congolese government to immediately stop the process of granting exploration licenses in these sensitive ecosystems, in particular, the project to decommission part of the Virunga Park.

The oil exploration threatens the rich biodiversity of the region posing a risk to the health and livelihoods of neighboring communities. Despite the global trend to shift from fossil fuels and invest in renewable energy, DRC is taking a dangerous and unsustainable path towards oil exploration, whilst the country is already suffering from the adverse effects of depletion of its tropical forests.The Virunga campaign is calling on the DRC government to immediately halt all oil development activities in Virunga by cancelling all exploration licenses issued since 2005 and protecting sensitive ecosystems by denouncing human rights violations, and addressing climate change concerns.

Source: AfrikaVuka