SAVE VIRUNGA
Stop Oil Exploration in Africa's Oldest National Park
Theodore Trefon noted in 2016 that “Oil has become big business in the DRC and the subject of major deal making – more often than not by dubious partners. It is shrouded in secrecy and controlled by the presidency” (1). The oil and gas sector of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ranked 84th (among 89… Read More
A Dutch appeals court has ruled that the Nigerian branch of oil giant Shell is responsible for damage caused by leaks in the Niger Delta. The court ordered Shell Nigeria to pay compensation to Nigerian farmers, while the subsidiary and its Anglo-Dutch parent company were told to install equipment to prevent future damage. A group… Read More
To Total CEO Patrick Pouyanné and all backers of the EACOP project: “As global citizens, we urgently call on you to cancel the East African Crude Oil Pipeline and stop drilling in national parks. Your plans threaten to destroy precious biodiversity hotspots and wildlife habitats – displacing tens of thousands of farmers. This project seriously… Read More
Total is present in Uganda through its wholly owned subsidiary Total Exploration & Production Uganda B.V (hereinafter Total Uganda), developing an oil project called “Tilenga” on the shores of Lake Albert. Total owns 54.9% of the project and is its operator. Its partners are the Chinese oil company CNOOC, with a 33.33% stake and Britain-based Tullow… Read More
Time is running out, we are losing our most precious wild places at an unbelievable pace. Last week it was the turn to Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia, the government has given green light for mining activities to start in this rich ecosystem compromising its diverse fauna and flora. Yesterday it was Virunga National… Read More
The problem, in a nutshell, is that for fifty years, foreign oil companies have conducted some of the world’s most sophisticated exploration and production operations, using millions of dollars’ worth of imported ultramodern equipment, against a backdrop of Stone Age squalor. They have extracted hundreds of millions of barrels of oil, which have sold on… Read More
For the past years, we have fought for the protection of Virunga National Park and against oil exploration and exploitation in Africa’s oldest National park. We engaged in this battle not only because we wanted to safeguard one of its most iconic species, the mountain gorilla, but also because we believe that local communities have… Read More
Blocks off Africa’s coast have already been snapped up by exploration companies but what of East Africa’s enormous great lakes? With exploration well underway in Lake Albert and plans laid down for Lake Malawi, Philip Kleinfeld looks at the social, political and environmental challenges. Lake Albert Uganda Blocks off Africa’s coast have already been snapped… Read More
#ONE EARTH ONE LAW love the Earth protect the Earth make it a crime to destroy the Earth ECOCIDE is: “loss or damage to, or destruction of ecosystem(s) of a given territory(ies), such that peaceful enjoyment by the inhabitants has been or will be severely diminished.” A law prohibiting ecocide is not yet in… Read More
Two of the World’s Most Biodiverse Wildlife Parks are Now Open for Oil Drilling – Why You Should Care In late June 2018, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) government voted to open up two of the country’s national parks to oil exploration. Because the decision will put wildlife at risk and pump high amounts… 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
As we begin the new year of 2019, we, the member organizations of the Synergy of Ecologists for Peace and Development, regret to draw a mixed assessment for the conservation of Virunga National Park during the year 2018. Indeed, the good news is that with the combined efforts of local communities – governmental conservation institutions… Read More
SAVE VIRUNGA 