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Monday, February 19, 2018
Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) oil minister defended the country’s right to explore for oil in the rainforest reserve. Aime Ngoy Mukena, DRC’s oil minister, took up his defensive stance following media reports that the country’s president, Joseph Kabila, approved drilling in Africa’s largest tropical rainforest reserve saying that the government had the right to drill anywhere. However, he declined to confirm a report in Germany’s Die Tageszeitung newspaper that Kabila had this month authorized exploration inside Salonga National Park.
Salonga National Park is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. The rain forest is home to rare species including bonobos, forest elephants, dwarf chimpanzees and Congo peacocks. The park in central Congo’s Cuvette Centrale also sits on peat lands that scientists say could release massive quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere if disturbed.
Mukena said the government was mindful of environmental considerations but was intent on developing its hydrocarbons sector.
“The law permits us to (explore) in any part of the country,”Mukena told Reuters. “When oil is found in a restricted area or in an area that belongs to UNESCO, the government stops and brings together ministers … and experts to see what the danger would be.”
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