"Undertaking oil exploration or exploitation on the ground in a UNESCO World Heritage site constitutes a breach of the Convention on World Heritage, as well as DRC's own laws and constitution," said Colin Robertson with Global Witness in a press release.
Last year the DRC stated it would not allow oil exploration in the park until a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was conducted. However, the permits have been given ahead of any SEA. SOCO holds rights in oil Bloc V, which includes a part of Virunga.
Global Witness says it has also received reliable information that SOCO intends to set up a basecamp in the heart of the Virunga.
For its part, SOCO states that while it is moving forward, it is also meeting with local communities to address concerns, including stakeholder meetings last year.
"Our activities within the Virunga National Park continue to be very preliminary and confined to an aerial study. We will not undertake any direct activity within the Park until we have the results of this aero-survey and we have consulted fully with all primary stakeholders. Our current plans have met with the approvals of all the local authorities. We are very aware of the need to protect the interests of all stakeholders within the Park and are working hard to ensure that we do so," Roger Cagle, Deputy Chief Executive of SOCO, said in a statement.
SOCO states that after aerial surveys it plans to conduct seismic tests in Lake Edward, home to about 50,000 people who largely depend on fishing. The company says its seismic testing will not impact the lake's fauna. Read the full report here.
Source: Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com.
