Voix du Paysan to educate and inform citizens, a commitment to social and climate justice.
For several months, the fishing ecosystems of Lake Albert have been in peril. Illegal fishing, carried out on a large scale, benefits not only from total impunity, but also seems to be facilitated by the very bodies meant to protect this natural resource. Despite growing denunciations, the military governor of Ituri remains silent, raising questions: is it complicity or inefficiency? This is the issue strongly highlighted by John Sultan Toly, local environmental defender and community organizer.
Oversight That Violates Its Own Mandate
The Surveillance Unit, created to ensure control and protection of the lake, has been accused of betraying its mission. Not only does it not curb illegal fishing, but it actively participates in it. A decision had been made by the governor himself to reform its management, but it was never implemented. Inaction regarding this decision reinforces suspicions of orchestrated laxity.
Security Forces Involved?
The Naval Force, present on the lake, is also pointed out for its complicity in illegal fishing. It would be directly involved in prohibited practices, sometimes benefiting from illegal catches or deliberately turning a blind eye. For local communities, this is a double trauma, seeing the enforcers of the law become the destroyers of their source of life.
John Sultan Toly Alerts and Calls for Action
In this alarming context, John Sultan Toly calls for responsibility. He urges provincial authorities to break their silence and finally enforce the measures taken. According to him, the governor’s silence risks undermining the environmental protection efforts led by community actors, and compromising the survival of populations dependent on Lake Albert.
The Editorial Team
