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The DLDH denounces the sentence of 6 months in prison to 15 environmental defenders for having denounced the illegal exploitation of red woods in Kabambare territory in Maniema

On January 15, 2025, the court of appeal of the Kabambare High Court, located in the province of Maniema, began examining the case of 15 environmental defenders sentenced to 6 months in prison and one fine of 5,000 dollars. Their crime, having denounced illegal logging  red in this province rich in biodiversity, a scourge which gangrenes the local ecosystem and the future of future generations in Kabambare territory.

In the very recent past, these environmental activists had alerted the authorities local authorities and public opinion on illegal logging which had been suspended by the territorial administrator, after the intervention of the heads of the groups. This advocacy, supported by the DLDH and other Civil Society organizations, aimed to stop this wild exploitation, without any official authorization being issued, and without benefit for local populations or the Congolese state. The latter, through its local authorities, had taken the decision to suspend the operation of the red woods throughout the Kabambare territory.

Environmental defenders do not hide their frustration. "He is incomprehensible that in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country which displays its desire to preserve its forests and fight against climate change, those who
defend this cause be punished,” declared Mr Emmanuel Makina, Coordinator of the DLDH. For him, there is no doubt that Congolese justice has been manipulated, and that instead of supporting efforts in favor of environmental conservation, it seems having taken the side of illegal operators. The DLDH does not just denounce this situation; she asks for involvement direct from the President of the Republic so that fairer and more equitable justice is returned. Thierry Badisungu (President of the DLDH), the objective is that these Activists
environmentalists of Kabambare can regain their freedom and continue their work in complete peace.

This wave of arrests and convictions echoes a climate increasingly tense between environmental defenders and certain economic powers local. But it also raises the question of the place of defenders in the implementation
implementation of environmental policies: why are the Congolese authorities, supposed defend the general interest, do they repress those who fight for a viable environment and for the rights of indigenous peoples?
The 15 defenders are now awaiting a new decision from the court of appeal, but their incarceration and the heavy fines imposed are a reminder of the scale of the issue. The DRC finds itself at a crossroads: choosing to support its committed citizens to the environment, or allow ourselves to be drawn into a spiral where the exploitation of resources natural resources take precedence over the well-being of its inhabitants and the protection of its forests.

This case also highlights the issue of resource management natural resources in a country where corruption and bad governance are obstacles important to sustainable environmental management. It is urgent that Congolese justice and public authorities reassess their priorities and begin to protect those who are truly working towards a greener and more equitable future. The defenders of the environment must be protected, supported, not persecuted in the province of Maniema in the Democratic Republic of Congo.