SAVE VIRUNGA
Stop Oil Exploration in Africa's Oldest National Park
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
Pursuing oil exploration and possible exploitation in Virunga is a good example of how greed has poisoned the souls of many. It is one of the too many stories of bad governments and bad businesses doing harm to their people and the planet, no remorse attached. In @DClimateJustice‘s insightful article, greed comes in many forms. Be it… Read More
It was believed that Virunga was saved after the withdrawal in 2015 of the oil company Soco who wanted to drill in the park. It was an illusion: Kinshasa has been negotiating the renewal of the controversial permit to an offshore oil company. It was June 2014. At that time, the British firm Soco International, after an… Read More
Every day we hear that the integrity of a protected area is being challenged by the expansion of industrial activities such as oil, gas and mining exploration. Last year it was the turn of Manu National Park in Peru’s Amazon one of the most biodiverse places on Earth and home of several indigenous peoples – as… 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
Africa’s oldest and most bio-diverse national park – under threat from oil. Global Witness welcomes the European Parliament’s resolution on the protection of the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which calls for EU Member States to help prevent oil activities in the Park and neighbouring areas. It also calls on… Read More
Every day we hear that the integrity of a protected area is being challenged by the expansion of industrial activities such as oil, gas and mining exploration. Last week it was the turn of Manu National Park in Peru’s Amazon one of the most biodiverse places on Earth and home of several indigenous peoples –… Read More
Soco has also so far failed to commit in writing to UNESCO that it will not, under any circumstances, explore or drill for oil inside Virunga’s current boundaries. On 30 June, at the UNESCO World Heritage in Bonn, Germany, delegates voted to adopt a draft resolution on Virunga reiterating that oil exploration is incompatible with… Read More
The Church Commissioners for England announce full divestment from SOCO The Church Commissioners for England are today announcing full divestment from their holdings in SOCO International to the total of £1.6 million and the company has been notified. The decision to divest follows the recommendation from the Ethical Investment Advisory Group of the Church of… Read More
MSF-Photo: Colin Delfosse – A resident of Rubaya camp in Masisi, North Kivu, looks out over the makeshift tents. When investing in Oil be aware that you are also contributing: 1. To finance massacres, conflicts and inter-ethnic wars, low intensity warfare originated in the oil exploitation; 2. To expel populations from oil areas (from families… Read More
Allegations of human rights abuses and corruption, associated with SOCO International’s oil exploration in and around Virunga National Park, were discussed in the UK parliament this week. In the House of Commons on 17th December 2014, Pauline Latham MP OBE raised the Question: “Will the Secretary of State tell us what her Department has done… Read More
Virunga National Park Under Threat From Oil Exploration JULY 21, 2014EMILYLORAJAMES Virunga National Park, situated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been under threat for decades. The park was founded in 1925 by Belgium’s King Albert I (National Geographic) but has since seen many periods of conflict and the settlement of refugees. These have… Read More
SAVE VIRUNGA 