The Congolese authorities and three industrial companies have failed to respect international and national norms regarding the right to a healthy environment and other human rights, said Amnesty International in a new report analyzing the potential impact of oil spills and smoke emissions on the health and socio-economic situation of local communities.
The report, “In the Shadow of Industries in the Republic of Congo”, sheds light on several cases of oil spills on soil and water sources, and smoke emissions from aluminium and lead furnaces linked to the activities of two oil companies and one recycling company in the Pointe-Noire and Kouilou areas. It also shows the lack of access to health and to drinking water for people living around oil concessions in the coastal area.
“While Congolese legislation on environmental issues is considered to be fairly advanced, our documented cases, in particular the establishment of a non-ferrous metals and plastics recycling plant and the management of oil spills, show that authorities are failing to meet their obligations to protect the human rights of people living near industrial activity”, said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa.
The report highlights a significant lack of transparency in environmental impact assessments and audits, which are not made public. This opacity prevents NGOs and civil society from effectively carrying out their monitoring role. The authorities and companies are also limiting the information made public following environmental incidents and in their responses.
Residents claiming health problems following oil spills
In the village of Djeno in Pointe-Noire area, TotalEnergies EP Congo, a subsidiary of the French company TotalEnergies, has had at least three incidents since 1972 – the last one in 2011, that resulted in crude oil spills into the Loubi lagoon. The company detailed the measures taken to clean up the lagoon and to share information with residents, but many continue to denounce the pollution and lack of information.
A local fish seller said to Amnesty International: “Not only did the number of fish decrease, but customers also began to complain of diarrhoea, as well as the taste of the fish.” Indeed, residents reported suffering from health problems, particularly diarrhoea, after eating fish from the lagoon.
The company maintains that water analyses carried out in 2021 did not reveal any anomaly and that they carry out regular tests to monitor groundwater quality. However, these test results have not been made public. Despite pleas by residents, the authorities never investigated the potential harm of past spills of oil on the environmental, economic and social rights of residents, including the right to health.
FULL ARTICLE: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/06/republic-of-congo-authorities-failing-to-ensure-respect-of-human-rights-by-big-industry/
CREDIT: Amnesty International
