Community forest in Eastern DR Congo tests promise of local control amid conflict

Forest Management Rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, spanning approximately 150 million hectares, are highly sought after by logging companies and carbon-offset developers. In 2023, following extensive negotiations, the Yainyongo community in Tshopo Province secured rights to manage 11,000 hectares of forest. This concession allows them to oversee and protect their forest amidst ongoing regional conflicts.

Despite formal recognition of Indigenous land rights by the Congolese state, communities often encounter challenges in enforcement due to corruption and overlapping concessions. Jerome Bitilaongi, a village elder in Romee, reports frequent attempts by external parties to seize their forest, exacerbated by recent local conflicts.

Since 2014, a "community forestry" initiative has enabled villages to obtain concessions of up to 50,000 hectares, contingent on sustainable management practices. According to Dieumerci Asumani from the national research institute INERA, this reform was implemented following years of inadequate state oversight and ineffective logging controls.

However, translating legal recognition into actual control involves prolonged boundary disputes and local negotiations. This process remains precarious in a forest where land is both vital for sustenance and a frequent source of conflict.

Based on reporting by Africanews.