From Abuse to Power: Ending Fortress Conservation in the Democratic Republic of Congo

From Abuse to Power: Ending Fortress Conservation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Oakland Institute exposes conservation’s counterintuitive deep ties to the extraction of natural resources and abuse of Indigenous Peoples in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Throughout decades of environmental conservation in the country, the government and NGOs have failed to address the issue of land grabbing and violence against Indigenous communities. Measures taken in recent years, such as training, grievance mechanism, and safeguards, are inadequate given the systemic flaws of the current fortress conservation model.

The report details how security forces and ecoguards involved in “environmental protection” and conservation NGOs running some of the national parks, such as World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), are responsible for horrendous violence and atrocities committed against Indigenous communities. Security forces and ecoguards enjoy impunity for these crimes despite the funding provided by the German and US governments for material support and their training.

The Indigenous communities in DRC have, for years, unsuccessfully sought justice by filing lawsuits in domestic courts. Batwa community members expelled from the Kahuzi-Biega National Park took their case to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, alleging violence, rape, murder, and arson that have victimized their people are crimes against humanity. In July 2024, the African Commission recognized the Batwa’s rights to their land and ordered the DRC government to return the land to its rightful owners, compensate them, and ensure their full protection.