Oil Activities In Virunga To Affect Tourism Sector – CSOs Tell M7, Kabila

BYSAMUEL NABWIISO 

Civil society organizations from Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) advocating  for the conservation of natural resources   in the Great Lakes region have written to President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Joseph Kabila of DRC to stop oil activities in the greater Virunga landscape.

Early this year, DRC moved to reclassify two UNESCO-protected World Heritage Sites –Salonga and Virunga National Parks – to allow oil exploration to take place. This move was condemned by regional Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) who believe such actions would be devastating for their unique ecosystems.

Gorillas in the Virunga National Park the CSO,s are telling the two presidents not to allow oil activities taking place  in the National park because it will affects  Tourism sector 

A statement from Uganda based CSO, Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO), said destabilizing Virunga ‘could cause a high spread of diseases since animals that have been affected by oil activities in Congo, could cross and affect the ones in Uganda.

AFIEGO added that once the Animals commence migrating, it will affect the development of Tourism sector in both countries but particularly in Uganda  furthermore the livelihoods of Ugandans that have been benefiting from this lake could be shattered because of the pollution that could take place on the other side of Lake Edward in Congo.’

“Your Excellences, it will be recalled that the Greater Virunga landscape, of which Virunga National Park is a part, is a biodiversity hotspot harboring some of the planet’s endangered species. Other biodiverse protected areas so critical to humanity that they are listed by UNESCO as World Heritage and Ramsar Sites in the landscape include Bwindi Impenetrable and Rwenzori Mountains national parks (World Heritage Sites), Queen Elizabeth National Park (Man and Bisophere Reserve), and Lake Edward (Ramsar site) allowing Oil activities to take place will negatively affect the conservation efforts “Reads part of the Comminique form AFIEGO.

Virunga landscape is home to thousands of Tourism species, the common ones being Gorillas.

The comments from the CSOs comes at a time when part of the Virunga National Park was Licensed to  UK based -listed oil company Soco International  to explore for oil in a world heritage site in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) .Soco, has a permit to explore in part of the Virunga National Park, Africa’s oldest national park and home to the critically endangered mountain gorillas made famous by the film Gorillas in the Mist. According to Information 85% of the park has been allocated as oil concessions by the DRC Government

The CSOs totaling 15 say it is ‘disheartening to see that the government of DRC has set in motion plans to redraw the boundaries of UNESCO listed World Heritage Sites, Salonga and Virunga national park with  the Intention of   allowing oil exploration activities in the parks.’

The CSO,s recommends that the presidents cancel indefinitely plans by DRC to redraw boundaries of the Salonga and Virunga national parks to allow oil activities in the parks and indefinitely cancel all plans by the Ugandan government to licence out Ngaji oil block located in Lake Edward and Queen Elizabeth National Park for oil activities.

They also recommend that both governments increase investment in renewable energy  since both countries have enormous renewable energy potential in solar, promote tourism over oil to diversify the economic base and increase investments in social infrastructure such as health services, education, roads and others.

The Conservation lobbyists said in the statement that is   willing to work with both governments to ensure that the sensitive ecosystems in Greater Virunga landscape are protected amidst the oil development threats.

The Kampala based communiqué was signed by), Innovation pour le Développement et la Protection de l’Environnement, CPSC- NK/FPJDD, MAIDENI Asbl, Federation of fishermen of Lake Edward (FECOPEILE), SORADEC/SEPD DR Congo and MERV/SEPD from DR Congo.

Others are Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO, National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE), Guild Presidents’ Forum on Oil Governance (GPFOG), World Voices Uganda (WVU) and South Western Institute for Policy and Advocacy (SOWIPA) from Uganda.

Other Ugandan CSOs include Kasese Consortium on Climate Change Adaptation and Biodiversity Conservation (CABIC), Center for Constitutional Governance (CCG), Green Organisation Africa (GOA) and Oil Refinery Residents Association (RRA).