Voix du Paysan pour former et informer les citoyens : un engagement pour la justice sociale et climatique.
Ituri, a province rich in exceptional biodiversity within the Congo Basin, is making its voice heard at COP30. Dense forests, savannas, rivers, lakes, aquatic ecosystems and traditional knowledge form a vital heritage for the global climate balance. Yet this living territory faces growing pressure: unsustainable mining and oil exploitation, deforestation, water pollution, marginalisation of local communities in ecological governance and a lack of sustainable economic alternatives. In this collective effort, figures such as Sultan John Toly, community mobiliser and recognised environmental defender, remind the world that the people of Ituri are the legitimate guardians of these natural riches and not simply beneficiaries of climate policies.
A call for climate justice and integrated protection of biodiversity
Local communities and Indigenous peoples of Ituri are calling on COP30 to recognise their central role in protecting nature. Their declaration demands coherent climate justice, in which industrialised countries honour their financial commitments to compensate for their ecological debt. They also call for conservation that includes all forms of biodiversity: forests, wetlands, farmland, rivers and lakes, and ask for a moratorium on destructive extractive activities in sensitive areas. For Sultan John Toly and other local leaders, defending nature must go together with protecting human rights and the dignity of communities.
Towards a new alliance between nature, development and inclusive governance
The signatories demand sustainable economic alternatives, ranging from agroforestry to community ecotourism, ecological reforestation and the promotion of non-timber forest products. They also warn of the urgent need to protect Lakes Albert and Edward, as well as the Ituri and Nepoko rivers, which are threatened by pollution and overexploitation. Through local organisations such as FORED and the TerreSansPetrole campaign, and with the commitment of leaders like Sultan John Toly, communities call for shared governance between the state, NGOs and the population. Their message to the world is clear: protecting biodiversity means protecting peace, dignity and the future of all. Ituri asks to be heard, respected and supported in this vital struggle.
Strong community commitments for environmental justice around Lake Albert and in Bunia
Following popular education activities carried out in the city of Bunia and along the shores of Lake Albert, local communities have formulated concrete commitments for defending their ecosystems. Several groups have pledged to organise two weekly sessions for learning and discussion on environmental injustices, with the aim of strengthening collective action. These community dynamics, which come from a participatory process leading to a joint declaration, show a growing citizen awakening. A big bravo to John Sultan Toly, whose leadership as a community mobiliser continues to inspire and bring people together around climate justice.
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