Top Congolese wildlife ranger fears for his life
Environmental prize winner Katembo feels threatened after opposing British oil company Soco’s oil exploration in the Virunga Park
A Congolese wildlife ranger, who won a prestigious award, says he still fears for his life because of his campaign to stop oil exploration in the Virunga National Park and protect the habitats of the rare mountain gorillas that live there. Rodrigue Katembo, one of six winners of the Goldman Environmental Prize on Monday, secretly filmed bribes being offered to allow British oil company Soco to drill in Virunga in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Two months after the film Virunga premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, public outrage led to Soco announcing the suspension of further exploration plans in the park, a Unesco World Heritage site and refuge for endangered mountain gorillas. "I fear for my life because Soco has money," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation via Skype from San Francisco." We still fear Soco because they have never written to say they will stop their illegal activities in Virunga." Soco has vigorously denied any link to attacks on its opponents, i...
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