SAVE VIRUNGA
Stop Oil Exploration in Africa's Oldest National Park
Last month, the Minister of Energy informed the public through a news briefing that on May 8, 2019, Uganda’s Ministry of Energy will launch the second competitive licencing round for oil blocks. The launch will take place in Kenya. . Some of the oil blocks that are set to be put up for licencing on Wednesday… Read More
Overinvestment in oil and gas creates risks for investors, regardless of whether the world is effective in tackling climate change. Either investors face assets being stranded as demand for fossil fuels falls in a transition to a low carbon economy, or the overinvestment contributes to excess emissions from fossil fuels, the failure to transition and… Read More
Africa’s oldest national park is under threat – 60 NGOs sign call for action. Virunga is Africa’s oldest national park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most bio-diverse areas on the planet. For the past three years Global Witness has been driving a major international campaign to stop oil companies drilling in… Read More
Salonga National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo is at risk from oil exploration due to a questionable contract that could be null and void under Congolese law * Save Virunga differs with Global Witness‘ views on oil exploration in DRC. DRC should not push for any new oil exploration and exploitation in its territory, inside… Read More
Drillers in the Mist: how secret payments and a climate of violence helped SOCO International open Africa’s oldest national park to oil. This emblematic case highlights how secret payments and a climate of violence in Eastern DRC helped SOCO International open Virunga National park, a UNESCO World heritage site, to oil exploration with financial support… Read More
“L’écologie est le flux. Vous et moi faisons définitivement partie du flux. Tout ce que nous faisons affecte le flux. Tout ce que le flux fait nous affecte. “ Robert Hunter La semaine dernière BBC, Bloomberg et beaucoup d’autres ont rapporté les nouvelles horribles que la République Démocratique du Congo envisageait «d’ouvrir des espaces de deux… Read More
“Ecology is flow. You and I are most definitely part of the flow. Everything we do affects the flow. Everything the flow does affects us.” Robert Hunter Last week BBC, Bloomberg and many others reported the horrifying news that the Democratic Republic of Congo was considering “whether to open up swathes of two world-famous national… Read More
This week was marked by the announcement by Global Witness that “the Democratic Republic of Congo’s government is attempting to reclassify swathes of two UNESCO-protected World Heritage Sites –Salonga and Virunga National Parks – to allow oil exploration to take place”. At the same time the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, was concluding… Read More
Formal recognition would help protect those who increasingly risk their lives to defend the land, water, forests and wildlife, says the UN special rapporteur on human rights and the environment. By Jonathan Watts Global environment editor It is time for the United Nations to formally recognise the right to a healthy environment, according to the… Read More
“Almost four environmental defenders a week killed in 2017” Environmental Warriors Environmental activists around the globe are being killed as they struggle to protect fragile ecosystems. From Brazil to Congo, the Philippines to Tanzania, the toll is heaviest in countries beset by corruption and weak enforcement, where entrenched government and business elites break laws with… Read More
Extract from Global Witness last investigation on Uganda’s mining sector, a story on endemic corruption and mismanagement profiting at the expense of the Ugandan people, environment and economy. Almost half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas are at risk as mining threatens Bwindi and Rwenzori national parks, part of the famous Virunga ecosystem – this risks… 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
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