SAVE VIRUNGA
Stop Oil Exploration in Africa's Oldest National Park
Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on the border of Uganda and Rwanda. Virunga is Africa’s oldest national park and is also the continent’s most biologically diverse protected area. The park’s 7800 square kilometers (3000 square miles) includes forests, savannas, lava plains, swamps, erosion valleys,… Read More
As Donald Trump enters the White House, it is time to join the global movement of resistance. Find your trigger, your strength to change the world: You and I must take daily actions that make large-scale changes possible. Have courage. Challenging the status quo can attract ridicule. We need the quiet courage of decent people doing… Read More
Joint statement in support of moratorium on all oil activities in the wider Virunga area The undersigned call on UNESCO and the governments of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)i to reach an agreement to prevent any oil exploration, extraction or related activities in the wider Virunga area which is key to the… Read More
Stop Fossil Fuels, Fight for Justice, Save Virunga, Yasuni and all these other Places and Peoples You and I must take daily actions that make large-scale changes possible. Sometimes you meet someone, see a place for the first time, read a book, or watch a movie and you are reminded in one glimpse, one sentence,… Read More
Open Letter to His Excellency Mr. Prime Minister and Head of Government, Democratic Republic of Congo . The civil society organizations working for the promotion and protection of the Environment and Human Rights in North Kivu (CREDDHO, FECOPEILE, IDPE, SOPR and CREF Network), in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, are grateful for… Read More
What Africans are doing for Africa, what Congolese are doing for Virunga is a story that too often is forgotten behind the headlines and stories conveyed in the West, behind our own stereotypes and fears to lose control over the African continent. To think that our voice and story is more meaningful and trustworthy than… Read More
Four ACCA member organizations from the Great Lakes Region have joined in an open letter calling on President Obama to act to protect Virunga National Park: Centre de Recherche sur l’Environnement, la Démocratie et les Droits de l’Homme (CREDDHO); Réseau pour la Conservation et la Réhabilitation des Ecosystèmes Forestiers (Réseau CREF); Actions pour les Droits, l’Environnement et la… Read More
Following the agreement made between SOCO International and WWF on June 10th to cease all operations of oil exploration in Virunga National Park, on the 21st of June a ceremony was held in Nyakakoma marking the closing of the seismic operations conducted by the oil company in North Kivu. Different personalities were present during this… Read More
Open letter the General Director of the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) 15-11-2013 On the 27th of December 2013, SOCO was pleased to announce that “ICCN, the organisation that manages the Virunga National Park, has reported to SOCO that it has received widespread support for SOCO’s activities on Block V in eastern DRC.”1 The… Read More
CIVIL SOCIETY INSECURITY & THREATS TIME TO JOINT THE MOVEMENT AND PROTECT VIRUNGA DEFENDERS Since the beginning of SOCO’s exploration operations in Virunga National Park, Environmental and Human Rights defenders fighting for the survival of the park and the respect of community rights have been target of intimidations and threats. Across DRC and the Great… Read More
Urgent Appeal No. 01/OSC/ENV/2014. Oil exploration and exploitation project in Virunga National park: Threats against civil society in North-Kivu. Civil Society focusing on environmental issues in North-Kivu is highly concerned about the security situation of its members in North-Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. In fact, the end of January and the beginning of February 2014… Read More
Save Virunga is a global initiative to protect Virunga, Africa’s Oldest National Park, from oil exploration and exploitation. These are the moments and most pressing issues that defined Save Virunga in 2013. 2014: Preserving Virunga National Park will bring sustainable development, peace and stability in the conflict affected areas of Eastern DR-Congo. Governments, Businesses and… Read More
SAVE VIRUNGA 