Es handelt sich damit um Afrikas ältesten Nationalpark. In February 2015, the Church of England shared its “serious concerns” about SOCO International's operations at the park due to the information seen in the Netflix documentary “Virunga” that was aired in November 2014. Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. A formal investigation was launched by park authorities, after claims were later corroborated by a HRW investigator. SOCO had completed its seismic survey on Lake Edward on 13 June 2014 to gather data about subsurface rock formations under the lake on the DRC side. At that time, the … The Virunga National Park is a 7,800 km2 park situated in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, next to the border of Uganda and Rwanda. People who live and work there know it’s a very special place. Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo said authorities had contacted UNESCO in order to find a way to “explore judiciously” within the park in order to “reap the profit of its resources to benefit the people who live there”. Although local authorities had been informed about the demonstration in advance as required by DRC law, policemen entered the cooperative's office soon after the march began, confiscated computers and materials and tore down a banner. The article reports local claims, backed up by Human Rights Watch, that soldiers guarding Soco’s base killed two fisherman in April after they allegedly opposed oil activities. Das Ölunternehmen Soco International gibt seine Pläne, im kongolesischen Virunga-Nationalpark nach Öl zu bohren, vorerst auf. ", The chief warden of Democratic Republic of the Congos Virunga National Park, Emmanuel de Merode, has been shot in an ambush", Over 50 protestors assembled peacefully in the street Monday holding banners proclaiming no to oilin Virunga National Park. Environmentalists have been fighting to keep a British oil company from drilling in Africa’s oldest national park. The Church also announced that it may withdraw its 3 million UK Pound stake from SOCO because of the issue. Even though the company states that it has ended the project in the park, the DRC government is now seeking a way to explore for oil in the perimeter of Virunga. British company Soco International performed seismic testing at the site – which is Africa’s oldest national park – but let its licence lapse in 2015. A group of 21 countries tasked by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to implement the World Heritage Convention today has issued a call to Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to end the prospect of oil exploitation in Virunga National Park. ", Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson and millionaire philanthropist Howard G. Buffett have cautioned that oil exploration by Soco International PLC could be devastating to Africas most iconic national park and its people. Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Throughout the year 2018, the national government took important steps towards the declassification of certain areas of Virunga national park (together with Salonga national park) in order to ease oil exploration and exploitation in the near future [4]. The French oil giant says it will not conduct any extraction of oil or gas nor any exploration activity within the perimeter of the natural World Heritage Sites. The company faces increasing scrutiny and criticism from conservation NGOs, UNESCO, the World Heritage Committee … Virunga National Park’s first hydropower plant has started to generate electricity. Wednesday 11 June 2014 … Virunga National Park has become the battleground in a new conflict, as conservationsists fight off the advances of rebel militias, poachers and a powerful oil company It was June 2014. Virunga is Africa’s oldest national park and a treasured World Heritage Site. (I accept). On its website the company declared that in accordance with a former public commitment made, all of SOCO's operations in Virunga National Park had ceased on 22 July 2014. Even through times of armed confl ict, the park has survived. Seismic studies as part of an evaluation that the government had requested to estimate the effects that oil exploration would have on the environment are “currently underway in the UK and should be completed by mid-2015”, SOCO stated. Die härteste Bewährungsprobe musste de Merode schon bald nach seiner Amtsübernahme bestehen, als internationale Konzerne zunehmendes Interesse zeigten, in Virunga nach Erdöl zu suchen. A major corporate social responsibility agency today has announced an examination of Soco International PLC for alleged violations of human rights and environmental protections related to the companys operations in an African World Heritage Site. Some places are worth fighting for, Virunga National Park is one of them. The Virunga Alliance reported in its “Vision for Virunga” that investments in a green economy are projected to create up to 60,000 new and sustainable jobs by 2025 in 4 key sectors: renewable energy, agro-industry, sustainable fisheries and tourism. Virunga National Park stretches along the Albertine Rift in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and includes parts of Lake Edward’s shore. Please note: This page has been archived and its content may no longer be up-to-date. It’s got more than its share of wonderful wildlife - not just huge numbers of unique birds, but African icons like lions, elephants, hippos, chimps and the remarkable okapi. Moreover, it declared that no exploration drilling has taken place in Block V, which includes the area of the national park, and that no drilling commitment had ever been made and no oil exploitation plans existed for the Block. The decision to pull out of Virunga national park follows legal mediation in London last week with WWF, but Soco is believed to have ultimately bowed to … Was environmental justice served? The lawlessness has meant that Soco employees and contractors usually travel in the park with government soldiers. Plans by London-based oil company Soco International PLC to explore for oil in a fragile African World Heritage Site have hit firm opposition from the UK government. Almost two-thirds of … UK oil company Soco has ended its oil exploration operations in Virunga. WWF is asking you to DRAW THE LINE to save Africa's oldest and most biodiverse park from oil exploration. ", Soco International PLC will end its operations in Africa's oldest national park and also is committing to remain out of all other UNESCO WOrld Heritage SItes. In 1998, production in Tunisia commenced from the Didon field until the company let go of its Didon/Zarat interests in Tunisia in 2004. Die UN-Organisation selbst hatte bereits zuvor eine Protestnote an die kongolesische Regierung gerichtet. By clicking "Accept cookies" you consent to place cookies when visiting the website. WWF economist Toby Roxburg examines how we assign value to extraordinary natural places like Virunga National Park. I am against the oil exploitation project in Virunga National Park, since I am aware that oil operations will likely damage the treasured site and the health and wellbeing of our population. Hence, the future of oil explorations within the park remains unclear, as the government of DRC seems to pursue its intentions to drill within the park in the future. 'S activities ( National Army for Liberation of Uganda ) operate together in the Park with soldiers. Journalist visiting the website by Leonardo DiCaprio and Netflix and released in late 2014 [ 2 ], the! Peaceful protesters und auch der gorillas Park ’ s relatively localised and tied three. Treasured World Heritage Site documented by the NGO 2015 of the controversial permit an! Virunga-Nationalpark 1969 aus der Teilung des bereits seit 1925 bestehenden Albert-Nationalparks Virunga 's wardens that! Belgier Emmanuel de Mérode on 15 April 2014 for bullet wounds to chest. 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