Kinshasa, 16 October 2024 – Greenpeace Africa welcomes the decision by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government to suspend the bidding process for 27 oil concessions. This move is an important advance for environmental protection and climate justice across Africa. . Nevertheless, this reprieve may not last long, as the Ministry of Hydrocarbons has indicated in a press release that it plans to restart the process “without delay”. Greenpeace Africa aims to ensure that this recent decision truly marks the end of oil concession bidding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and continues to maintain a constructive dialogue with the Congolese government to We remain committed to continuing our advocacy efforts.
The Ministry of Hydrocarbons has announced the cancellation of the tender, a decision that follows significant public outcry and concerns expressed by environmental groups about the potential negative impact on biodiversity, local communities and the global climate. .
“This decision represents a temporary but important victory as a result of the courageous advocacy work Greenpeace Africa has spearheaded on this initiative since 2022. We call on the government to focus on investing in and promoting renewable energy sources, rather than initiating a new tendering process for oil blocks, the same thing that has plagued the country for the past two years. It just recreates an environment of uncertainty,” Bonaventure said. Mr. Bond, Greenpeace Africa Congo Basin Forest Activist.
In addition, the content of the technical note submitted to the Council of Ministers on October 11, 2024, when the Ministry of Hydrocarbons announced the conclusion of the bidding process for 27 oil blocks and 3 gas blocks, and published on the website The official communiqué only mentions the cancellation of 27 oil blocks. These discrepancies, along with the memo’s point that the ministry’s planned future process will be different and limited from previous open tenders, raise concerns about the transparency of future steps.
“Restricted tenders raise concerns as they are vulnerable to corruption, which could undermine the transparency of the entire process. We urge the government to halt all hydrocarbon-related projects in the Congo Basin forests. We urge the government not to return to the pitfalls of the past, which have cost Congolese taxpayers millions of dollars,” Bonaventure concluded.
The tender for 27 oil blocks and three gas blocks, launched in July 2022 under former hydrocarbons minister Didier Boudinbou, faced opposition from various civil society organizations in Congo, including Greenpeace Africa. The cancellation of those bids two years later provided a glimmer of hope. However, Greenpeace Africa remains vigilant and will closely monitor the development of new plans launched by the Congolese government.
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contact address:Greenpeace Africa, (email protected)
