DRC natural resources press review of Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has filed a complaint against the British oil company SOCO to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) , Monday, October 7, 2013 . With such design: " violation of the norms of international corporate social responsibility ." Many newspapers reported this information in their columns today . For the Observateur newspaper, the future of the Congolese Virunga is in the hands of the WWF. The daily notes that for WWF , the oil exploration Soco in and around the Virunga National Park activities violate the OECD guidelines on the environment and human rights . The tabloid says that the OECD is expected to rule within two months on the admissibility or otherwise of the complaint.

WWF 's complaint requires the cessation of business by the company in this protected area oil exploration , said the issue of Kinshasa of Dépêches de Brazzaville, who gets what the director of conservation at WWF International , Lasse Gustavsson . According to him, the newspaper says , "The activities of Soco endanger local people living in the Virunga National Park , the animals and their habitats. The only way for the company Soco to comply with the directives of the OECD is an end for good to any exploration in the park . "

For the National Director of WWF DRC , Raymond Lumbuenamo , Radio Okapi reports , "the WWF decided to complain because Soco has violated the laws of the OECD in particular by making use of specialized forces to intimidate the population and others who are against the exploitation of oil in Virunga . " He said the company Soco did not disclose information about the potential environmental and health impacts associated with exploration .
Forum des As newspaper call the company Soco who reacted through its website. According to the oil company , the paper notes , the accusations are unfounded WWF because Soco said to have commenced any operational activity and does not intend to do so until all environmental studies are fully completed.On another topic , Radio Okapi reports that the mayor of Lubumbashi ( Katanga ), Jean -Oscar Sangouza , suspended , last weekend, the blasting operation in the career of Kalukuluku in the common Ruashi . He took this decision following the damage caused by this operation on the environment and local residents ' complaints . Friday, September 27 , blasting the quarry mining , belonging to the company Ruashi Mining has caused a lot of damage . Throwing stones caused by this operation injured several people and damaged several houses . Following this incident, clashes broke out between police and people living around this career.