Numerous social organizations from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) met together with local and traditional authorities in the province of North Kivu on March 23-24 to consider the impacts of oil exploration and drilling by the multinational oil company SOCO in Virunga National Park.

In the  declaration issued at the end of the meeting, local communities denounced the pollution of the air, the soil and the waters of Lake Edouard resulting from oil industry activity, in addition to the violence they have suffered as a consequence of the conflicts caused by commercial interests competing for the appropriation of natural resources. They also called on the government to respect the international agreements it has signed, implying a commitment to the protection of the environment and the conservation of forest ecosystems.

The full declaration is available in French at the World Rainforest Movement  web site: www.wrm.org.uy/countries/Congo/CommuniquePetroleMars2012.pdf