Pre-COP27 in the DRC: Kinshasa confirms its intention to exploit its oil blocks

A Congo Basin forest © Flickr/CC/Axel Fassio/CIFOR

Text by: RFI Follow

4 mins

The pre-COP 27 ends this Tuesday, October 4 in Kinshasa.

Throughout the discussions in plenary, in group sessions or bilaterally, the Congolese delegates put on the table the thorny issue of poverty, which affects a large part of the population.

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With our correspondence in Kinshasa,

Congolese Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde even pleaded for the world to take a common position on cases of force majeure which would justify, for example, the fact that his country decides to launch calls for tenders for the exploitation of oil blocks. when the world wants to get out of polluting energies.

The question has been at the heart of discussions between Congolese and American authorities since September.

When the DRC officially launched calls for tenders for the exploitation of these oil blocks, many Western countries had expressed reservations, but very few had come forward publicly and none, if not one, namely the United States, had proposed an exchange framework.

The actual discussions on this subject began in early August with the arrival in Kinshasa of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

They continued in September with the working stay in the Congolese capital of Amos Hochstein, special envoy of the Biden administration and coordinator of international energy affairs.

According to diplomatic sources, the Congolese authorities have remained intransigent on the majority of these oil and gas assets.

However, they remain attentive to criticism on at least six blocks that overlap protected areas.

Organizations like Greenpeace talk about nine problem sites, not six.

They insist on abandoning the whole project.

The DRC government plans to auction 27 oil and 3 gas blocks, it wants to sacrifice vast areas of Congo rainforest and peatland for oil.

🚨 You can't drink oil!

🚨

This auction will only exacerbate the #ClimateCrisis.

🖊️ #SaveCongoRainforest >> https://t.co/xOiTIxcJ2t ✊ pic.twitter.com/gZnJvWmFG5

— Greenpeace (@Greenpeace) July 27, 2022

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Present in discussions with the Congolese authorities, John Kerry took advantage of his stay on Congolese soil to discuss with the authorities of this country the participation of the United States in the protection and preservation of the Congo Basin, one of the green lungs of the planet.

He is also scheduled to meet President Félix Tshisekedi this evening. 

He was less rigid about auctioning the rights to exploit oil blocks that are in non-problem areas.

RFI: Are you worried about this oil exploitation project

John Kerry: 

Obviously, the United States and other countries have expressed concern about certain blocks that have been auctioned.

But we are convinced that the DRC can achieve full economic development without threatening these blocs.

Secretary of State Blinken met with President Tshisekedi.

They agreed to form a working group that will look at specific economic development programs compatible with the protection of the Congo Basin.

This is a very important initiative for us, because this Basin is vital, but also because the Congolese need and deserve access to development and to jobs.

You are going to meet the Congolese head of state this afternoon.

Are you going to ask him, for example, that some of these oil blocks be excluded from the auction?

We know that this balance can be achieved.

My hope is that during my meeting with President Tshisekedi this afternoon, I will succeed in convincing him that it is important to withdraw certain blocks from these auctions, in order to balance ecological interest and economic development. 

The DRC, for example, wants to invest more in the electric battery industries.

The creation of a factory was even announced by the government.

Can the United States participate in this type of investment in Congo?

We are interested.

But that is not the reason for our commitment here.

In general, the United States, like other countries, will develop electric vehicles and will need the minerals to do so.

But we think it can be done in a way that fully respects the balance between nature and economic development.

We look forward to working very closely with Congo on this initiative.

Obviously, people need jobs, to be able to send their children to school, to have a future.

We understand this perfectly.

And we're not suggesting that one option replaces the other.

You can have a good balance.

Sustainable development, a circular economy, even if you use some of the region's resources.

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