On 30th June 2021, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will be celebrating 61 years of Independence from Belgium colonial rule. To mark this day, 350Africa.org in collaboration with MNKF Creatives and activists in the Democratic Republic of Congo will be launching a short film dubbed “Fossil Free Virunga”. The film is meant to highlight the opposition of fossil fuel exploration in the sensitive ecosystems that is the Virunga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage and Ramsar Site.
Virunga National Park has outstanding universal value as it is home to 43% of African bird species, 27% of mammals and more than 10% of reptiles, amphibians, medicinal plants and several other rare endangered species that do not exist anywhere else in the world.
This rich biodiversity that supports the livelihoods of millions of people is threatened by the licensing of oil concessions to foreign fossil fuel companies like Efora, by the Congolese Government through the Ministry of Hydrocarbons. This licencing is in violation of the Ordinance-Law 69-041 of August 22, 1969, on nature conservation and international conventions ratified by DRC. This move ties DRC to fossil-fuel dependence, a resource that is no longer viable as the world seeks to move to a clean energy future.
Join us as we celebrate and stand in solidarity with the amazing activists in DRC who are calling for a truly independent nation by fighting to break free from the destructive impacts of fossil fuels in their country. Register here to watch the film’s premiere on 30th June at 2 pm GMT and listen to passionate speakers as they share their stories of fighting for social and environmental justice in the DRC.