sentencing
“The situation is only getting worse as a result of corruption by illegal loggers.
“This exploitation has taken on a new dimension with networks involving certain state legislators, armed groups and logging companies, with the benefit of certain state authorities,” he said.
He said the Kabambale Territorial Administrator had issued a letter to stop all forms of illegal logging of sequoias in the area, but logging continues. Aruna blamed this on a network of loggers’ politicians and armed groups.
At Bin Lumbangi’s trial in October, Aruna said, the court president refused to allow him to be represented by a lawyer, even though he was unable to appear in person due to health issues.
“The judge took the case on advice and rushed to sentence Mr. Yahaya to six months in prison and the equivalent of $4,000 in fines,” he said.
blackmail
The judge rejected SOCEARUCO’s second request to reopen the case and handed down his decision on November 4th. “There are allegations of corruption in the handling of this case and my colleagues were not given a fair trial,” he said.
“We no longer have confidence in this court and wish to challenge this judgment against our colleagues and our work,” he added. Socealco’s appeal against Yahya’s sentence was heard in a court in Kisongo this week.
“We are calling for international solidarity to persuade the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to protect environmental defenders, because our work is helping the world by stopping the erosion of biodiversity caused by timber trafficking. “This will only help the country in implementing its global biodiversity framework and climate change agenda,” he said. Said.
Aruna said SOCEARUCO staff have received death threats and intimidation.
A lawyer representing the loggers declined to comment on the matter.
spotlight
The case highlights the broader links between corruption and illegal logging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which have plagued the country and hampered attempts to curb deforestation for decades. . According to the research environmental group Global Witness..
The DRC contains approximately 60% of the Congo Basin rainforest, making it the second largest tropical forest in the world and an important carbon sink. Logging, including industrial logging, is the key driver and catalyst The situation of forest degradation and deforestation in the country.
International demand for Congolese timber is playing a key role in promoting logging in the DRC, the report said. In 2022, China imports more timber from the Democratic Republic of Congo than any other country. However, the total amount of timber exported is difficult to calculate due to illegal activities and the scale of cross-border trade.
Although the DRC government introduced a moratorium on new logging concessions in 2002, new contracts continue to be allocated. Similarly, the ban on the export of logs purchased in the same year has significant loopholes and has not been implemented in any case.
extensive research Industrial logging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is illegal, including violation of logging quotas and misdeclaration of species available for logging, according to a report released in October by the Promotion and Protection Action for People (APEM), the Environmental Investigation Agency and the British Rainforest Foundation. It turned out that he was troubled by the act. Over-harvesting and routine bribe payments to Chinese customers.
community
Only 6% of industrial concessionaires in the country comply with the country’s own forest laws, according to an analysis conducted to survey 82 forest concessions managed by 29 companies and covering approximately 14.5 million hectares. It was found that the legality standards under the
More than 42 percent of concessionaires do not pay taxes owed to the DRC state, while only 15 percent of companies comply with their socio-economic obligations to local communities.
“The vast majority of forest concession holders in the DRC do not meet even the most basic environmental, social and financial standards,” said APEM National Coordinator Blaise Mdodoshi.
He added that the DRC government suspended contracts for 16 illegally operating concessions early last year, but it was not enough.
He should take similar action against other illegal companies, shelve plans to open tens of millions of hectares of forest to the timber industry, and extend support to expand community forest management in the country. he added.
protest
“If you have money and want to operate in the Democratic Republic of Congo, it’s very easy to do so, even if you don’t respect local laws,” said Global Witness researcher Charlie Hammans. he said.
The dangers faced by local residents opposed to loggers are reinforced in 2022 when the Congo Sunflower Forestry Development Company ordered villagers in the village of Tokoma, Tsuapa District, Democratic Republic of the Congo, to remove the company’s equipment from illegally operated premises. It came to light for organizing violence after confiscating the department. land.
Instead of pursuing legal proceedings through civil channels, the company requested military assistance. Two of the villagers were shot, and one’s leg was so badly injured that it had to be amputated.
“It’s a very dangerous environment for the community to protest,” Hammans said.
Benjamin Toirambe Bamoninga, DRC’s Executive Director for Environment and Sustainable Development, did not respond to requests for comment on this article at the time of publication.
this author
Katherine Early is a freelance environmental journalist and chief reporter for The Ecologist. Find her at Bluesky @catearly.bsky.social.
