Latest news with #AiméSakombiMolendo
Business Insider
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Controversy grows as DRC targets protected lands for massive oil and gas exploration
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing mounting criticism from environmentalists, human rights groups, and global climate advocates following its decision to open 124 million hectares of land and inland waters to oil and gas exploration. The DRC announced the opening of 124 million hectares for oil and gas exploration to enhance its hydrocarbon sector and economy. The decision includes regions containing protected biodiversity areas such as rainforests and peatlands Pressure mounts both nationally and internationally for the DRC government to reconsider these plans due to projected environmental and social consequences. In May, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), through its Minister of Hydrocarbons, Aimé Sakombi Molendo, formally announced the expansion of oil and gas exploration during the 42nd ordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers. Molendo revealed that the Central Basin sedimentary region has been fully divided into oil blocks, with 52 of them newly opened for exploration. He emphasized that this move is part of ongoing efforts to promote the country's hydrocarbon sector and unlock its economic potential. The Council of Ministers acknowledged the update, stressing the strategic importance of these developments for the DRC's economic future. They noted that the initiative aligns with the government's broader agenda to strengthen national revenue generation through the oil industry and attract investment in the energy sector. The move, announced as part of President Félix Tshisekedi's broader economic strategy, includes regions that encompass protected rainforests, peatlands, and biodiversity hotspots, some of which are home to endangered species such as forest elephants and lowland gorillas. Critics slam move as setback to climate goals With an estimated 5 to 22 billion barrels of oil reserves, the DRC is pursuing a pro-investment agenda aimed at boosting transparency, operational efficiency, and upstream activity. However, the move has drawn sharp criticism from climate advocates who say it undermines global emissions targets and global climate goals. Conservationists argue that expanding fossil fuel infrastructure into ecologically sensitive areas threatens to destroy fragile ecosystems and violates the rights of Indigenous populations who depend on these landscapes for their survival. According to Earth Insight, in a report titled Forests to Frontlines: Oil Expansion Threats in the DRC, the organization calls on the Congolese government to cancel the 2025 oil block licensing round and instead pursue alternative development models that 'r espect Indigenous and community rights, sustain local livelihoods, and safeguard biodiversity and the global climate. ' 'What happens next in the Congo Basin will have consequences far beyond its borders, ' the report cautions. As the second-largest tropical rainforest on the planet, the DRC is home to an astonishing array of biodiversity—including elephants, great apes, endemic bird species, and thousands of unique plants that thrive in its intact ecosystems. The country's Cuvette Centrale peatlands store vast amounts of carbon vital to the fight against climate change. These rich landscapes also support the livelihoods, cultural heritage, and climate resilience of millions of people. Earth Insight further warns that over half of the DRC's territory, approximately 53%, is now covered by oil blocks, placing immense pressure on areas of critical ecological and cultural importance. This development threatens to disrupt local livelihoods and erode lands with deep cultural and spiritual significance, ultimately undermining the country's potential for long-term sustainable development. The controversy has also cast a shadow over international climate partnerships. These include agreements in which the DRC receives financial support from global partners to conserve its rainforests, the world's second-largest after the Amazon.
Zawya
23-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) Hydrocarbons Minister to Speak at Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025 Amid Renewed Exploration Drive
The Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) Minister of Hydrocarbons, Aimé Sakombi Molendo, is confirmed to speak at Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025 in Paris next month. His participation underscores the DRC's commitment to revitalizing its hydrocarbons sector through strategic reforms, regional partnerships and renewed investor engagement, following recent exploration breakthroughs and cross-border agreements. With an estimated 5 to 22 billion barrels of oil reserves, the DRC is advancing a pro-investment agenda focused on enhancing transparency, improving operational efficiency and accelerating upstream activity – efforts that are already yielding results. In May 2024, Perenco's subsidiary, Muanda International Oil Company, achieved the DRC's first offshore oil discovery in nearly three decades with the Moke-East well in the Coastal Basin. To fast-track exploration and strengthen national participation, the government also recently approved a decree granting state-owned S ociété Nationale des Hydrocarbures du Congo the rights to Blocks 1 and 2 in the Albertine Basin, one of the country's most promising zones for oil exploration. IAE 2025 ( is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 13-14, 2025 in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visit To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@ In a key regional development, the DRC and Angola signed new terms for the co-development of offshore Block 14 during the Angola Oil&Gas 2024 conference. Straddling the maritime border between the two nations, Block 14 boasts a production capacity of 3.29 million barrels per year and is operated by Chevron's local subsidiary, Cabinda Gulf Oil Company, alongside partners Eni, etu energias and Sonangol. The agreement, formalizing nearly two decades of negotiations, is poised to encourage further investment and strengthen cross-border petroleum trade. Minister Molendo's presence at IAE 2025 will offer delegates valuable insights into the DRC's evolving energy landscape – spanning hydrocarbons, energy and mining – and the government's integrated approach to sustainable resource development. As the DRC strengthens linkages across its extractive industries, the Minister is expected to outline emerging opportunities in exploration, infrastructure and local content development. He joins a high-level lineup of African energy leaders, including ministers from Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Mauritania, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau and Liberia, underscoring the summit's role as a premier platform for pan-African energy dialogue and investment. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.
