DRC: 12 civil society organizations call on Félix Tshisekedi to postpone the auction of 27 oil blocks and 3 gas blocks
Twelve (12) civil society organizations grouped within the “Dynamique POLE” seized the President of the Republic, Félix Tshisekedi about the auction of 27 oil blocks and 3 gas blocks, initiated by the Government.
This civil society platform alerts the Congolese Head of State to the country’s risk of indebtedness given the great probability of a drop in demand for hydrocarbons before the production of crude which, according to their research, will not arrive in 10 to 15 year olds.
During a press briefing, this Thursday, July 28, the Dynamique Pole clarified the main content of its letter addressed to the President of the Republic, Félix Tshisekedi. For this civil society platform, the launch of these calls for tenders violated certain laws of the country, in particular the law on the fundamental principle of the environment.
“We are wondering about the procedure used to launch these calls for tenders. We see that there is a problem with our laws. There is the law on the fundamental principle of the environment which requires a public consultation for this There have been no prior studies to ensure that these blocks meet the criteria to be auctioned,” explains Emmanuel Musuyu, Executive Secretary of the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Reform Monitoring. of Public Action (CORAP), NGO member of the Dynamique Pole.
La Dynamique Pole is dubious about the figures put forward by the Government, considered as potential gains that would result from the exploitation and exploration of Congolese oil and gas blocks. It raises the hypothesis of the overestimation of the benefits of the exploitation of oil blocks in the DRC without conclusive studies.
“We also oppose the level of propaganda around these oil and gas blocks. We are told of 200 trillion USD to be won. We wonder if this is based on which concrete studies. seduction”, continued Emmanuel Musuyu.
For this platform, the city of Muanda is proof that oil and gas exploitation cannot bring development and cannot be done with respect for the environment.
“In the DRC, we already have significant experience in the exploitation of hydrocarbons. In the town of Muanda 95% of the population are unemployed. There are also several problems of environmental impact on health, the environment and local development. All of these issues lead us to question the relevance of this approach. And why launch these processes on the eve of the elections? We do not know what is hidden behind “, a- he lets know.
As a result of this fact, the Dynamique Pole calls on Félix Tshisekedi to postpone this process initiated by the Government.
“We have sent an open letter to the Head of State. We invite him, on the basis of all the analyzes presented in this letter, to be able to postpone this process. Because there is a need to clarify certain points There are violations of legal texts and the rights of communities and many other aspects.The DRC presents itself as a solution country for climate change and the fact of promoting the exploitation of hydrocarbons and gas will increase the emission of greenhouse gases. Which is in contradiction with the vision of the country”, insisted Emmanuel Musuyu.
This same Thursday, the President of the Republic, Félix Tshisekedi chaired the ceremony of the official launch of calls for tenders for the auction of 27 oil blocks and 3 gas blocks. Several guests, notably from member countries of the organization of petroleum producers, took part in this activity.
It should be noted that the Dynamique Pole, which is a group of 12 Congolese organizations acting across the 26 provinces of the DRC, is concerned with the development of the energy sector which must position itself as the engine of sustainable development in the DRC.
