DR Congo government issues plans for O&G leasing inside WH-listed Virunga NP & critical peatlands

DAKAR, Senegal — The Democratic Republic of Congo, home to one of the largest old-growth rainforests on Earth, is auctioning off vast amounts of land in a push to become “the new destination for oil investments,” part of a global shift as the world retreats on fighting climate change in a scramble for fossil fuels.

The oil and gas blocks, which will be auctioned in late July, extend into Virunga National Park, the world’s most important gorilla sanctuary, as well as tropical peatlands that store vast amounts of carbon, keeping it out of the atmosphere and from contributing to global warming.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/24/world/africa/congo-oil-gas-auction.html