The Congo Basin is the world’s second-largest rainforest and supports many Indigenous peoples who depend on forest resources and traditional knowledge. In the Republic of Congo and neighbouring states some groups live deep in the forest or near forest villages. The Congolese government has banned the term “pygmee” as pejorative.
China’s ties with the Republic of Congo go back to the 1960s. The Foreign Affairs Minister said trade reached USD 6.57 billion in 2023 and Chinese firms now operate in agriculture, minerals, timber and digital technology. The country of 6.2 million people has seen growing Chinese investment under initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative.
Civil society groups and researchers say Chinese logging licences and other extractive activities have accelerated deforestation. Mongabay research and local NGOs told Global Voices that the loss of forest threatens Indigenous ways of life. Civil society leaders, including Blanchard Cherotti Mavoungou of APRA2DH, told RFI that Indigenous populations often do not benefit from agreements, that companies sometimes skip environmental and social impact studies, and that Indigenous people are not taken into account. Some families have been expelled and local rights groups report a lack of compensation.
One reported incident on September 9 involved a request to confiscate more than 3,000 cubic metres of timber in Bolomba, Equateur Province, said to belong to two Chinese companies that harvested without a logging permit; one named firm is the Wanpong Group. At the same time, new commercial projects target forest products such as honey. China donated supplies to local honey cooperatives and said it would strengthen cooperation in poverty reduction, agriculture and green development. Defenders warn that industrial harvesting may create scarcity, harm livelihoods and erase traditional techniques. Local NGOs are calling attention to environmental and human rights risks, and it is not yet clear how the Congolese government will change oversight or how Indigenous communities will be compensated or protected.
Difficult words
- indigenous — original inhabitants of a region or territory
- pejorative — showing a negative or insulting meaning
- deforestation — large-scale loss of trees and forest
- logging licence — official permission to cut trees commerciallylogging licences
- extractive activity — removing natural resources for commercial useextractive activities
- compensation — money or payment for loss or damage
- oversight — official supervision or review of actions
- cooperative — a group that works together for benefitcooperatives
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Discussion questions
- How might Chinese investment change daily life for Indigenous communities in the Congo Basin? Give reasons from the article.
- What measures could the Congolese government take to prevent harm to forests and protect local peoples?
- Do small local projects, like honey cooperatives, provide a real alternative to industrial harvesting? Why or why not?
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