DRC Prime Minister Highlights War Impact on Biodiversity at COP29
Judith Suminwa, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), raised significant concerns about the threats facing her country’s biodiversity during a speech at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday.
She attributed the dangers to the ongoing conflict in the eastern DRC, which she blamed on Rwanda. “My country’s biodiversity is in peril due to the war unjustly imposed by Rwanda,” Suminwa stated.
“This crisis forces us to divert a substantial portion of our budget towards military efforts and the protection of our conservation areas, rather than investing in climate resilience.”
Suminwa appealed to the international community, including Rwandan President Paul Kagame and senior UN officials, calling for greater awareness of the situation, which she described as “dramatic and singular.”
Addressing the topic of climate change, Suminwa highlighted the DRC’s efforts to establish a carbon market regulatory authority, in line with the Paris Agreement’s Article 6.
She urged stakeholders to honor the commitments made at the 2015 Paris Conference and called for the establishment of a new climate financing target, proposing an annual goal of between “1100 and 1300 billion dollars.”
COP29, which has been underway since November 12, has drawn nearly 67,000 attendees, including diplomats, UN officials, journalists, climate scientists, and political leaders, to discuss global climate issues.
