On Wednesday 30 October 2024 in DRC/North Kivu region, Goma city, our Laudato Si animators took part in the launch of the #TerreSansPétrole campaign, launched by Congolese civil society with the aim of stopping the exploitation of oil in the DRC. Terre Sans Pétrole is a French translates to Oil Free Earth
Oil remains an exhaustible resource and has a negative impact on the environment, local communities in the Congo Basin, with huge implications in conflicts and the ongoing war in the Eastern part of DRC.
In this campaign, the Congolese Civil Society is proposing to the world’s decision-makers that clean energy from renewable resources is a better solution to solve the climate crisis.
Mushisho Baraka, Advocacy Laudato Si’ Animator in Goma, DRC.
During this campaign launch, art was at the heart of the action. With an audience of around 500 people, Spoken word artists and musicians raised awareness on the effects of oil extraction and the need of calling world leaders to embrace clean energy.
It is important to remember that the DRC government proposed in 2022 to auction 27 oil blocks and 3 gas blocks. After canceling the auction this year 2024, H.E Felix Chisekedi the president of Democratic Republic of Congo is going to relaunch again the auctioning of the 30 blocks.
Mugisho Baraka, an animator who supported the coordination of the event said that, “As members of Laudato Si Movement we remain committed to build a strong grassroot movement that can raise the voice of the poor and the voice of a crying Earth. “There is no more room for oil, gas and coal in Africa.” Says Baraka Mugisho.