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Releasing the final results of a World Bank-sponsored review of logging contracts, the Congolese government today announced that 65 contracts covering almost 10 million hectares will be converted into long-term logging concessions.
The results contradict the conclusions of a government-appointed technical working group, which previously recommended a reduction to 4.4 million hectares. Today's announcement comes after the government examined a series of appeals from logging companies whose contracts were to be cancelled. Nineteen out of 87 appeals were successful.
"It is a positive sign that the government did not yield completely to industry pressure. The contract cancellations now need to be implemented. We hope that the Congolese government will focus on protecting our forests and on putting in place a participatory national land use plan" said René Ngongo, Forest Policy Advisor for Greenpeace Africa. "Hopefully, the cancellation of the rejected logging ...
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Contact information
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• Michelle Medeiros, Forest Campaigner, Greenpeace International, +31 6 46162041
• Susanne Breitkopf, Forest Campaigner, Greenpeace International, +1 202 390 5586
• Rene Ngongo, Forest Policy Advisor for Greenpeace Africa, +243 998334500