Oil exploitation blamed for environmental damage, crop loss in Congo

The church has said oil production work is accelerating environmental damage in the Republic Congo.

In a report co-authored with Caritas, the diocese of Pointe-Noire said farmers in the Kouilou department have reported sharp drops in cassava harvests.

It said fruit trees in the region have been attacked by strange diseases, with many drying or falling before they are ready, French broadcaster RFI reported.

The residents point the finger at gas flaring by oil companies. It said the region's soil, water and air is contaminated beyond the limits set by the World Health Organization.

The diocese named Total, ENI, national oil company SNPC and Wing Wah as the biggest culprits.

Gas flaring was banned in Congo in 2007 but the authorities granted exceptions in 2022.

In 2024, Amnesty International Congolese authorities were not doing enough to ensure industrial companies protect human and environmental rights in communities where people live.

The rights group looked at oil spills and smoke emissions linked to the activities of TotalEnergies EP Congo, Wing Wah and Metssa Congo, and their impact in the Pointe-Noire and Kouilou departments that sit on the Atlantic coast.