Free, Prior and Informed Consent in the Palm Oil Sector - Democratic Republic of Congo: Congo Oil and Derivatives, SARL

Pre-Publication Text for Public Release, December 2012

The concession investigated is located in Bas-Congo province in the Muanda territory, which covers 4,265 square km and is home to 152 villages spread over three sectors: Assolongo, Boma Bungu and La Mer. The location of Muanda territory is attractive as it runs along the Congolese coast of the Atlantic Ocean, from the mouth of the Congo river to Matadi city, the seat of the governmental administration of Bas-Congo province, where two international ports are located: Boma and Matadi. Bas-Congo is the only province of the Democratic Republic of Congo to have access to the Atlantic Ocean.

The concession investigated covers an area of 10,000 ha and is located within two forest reserves: the Muba and the Kiemi Reserves, which are classified, according to the Forest Code, as ‘subject, in line with a classification act, to a restrictive legal regime concerning usage rights and exploitation rights’ (Art 10, Forest Code).  The forest Reserves of Muba and Kiemi are of 12,244 ha and 2,150 ha respectively. The Muba Reserve is the second largest Reserve in the province of Bas-Congo, and is home to customary lands accessed by many local communities for their subsistence activities, including hunting and gathering. Both Reserves are rich in biodiversity and contain the only sources of water to which several communities have access. 

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