DR Congo: Oil Company Operations Pose Grave Pollution Threat

(Kinshasa, July 27, 2026) Pollution linked to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s only oil producer poses serious health risks to communities near its operations, Human Rights Watch said today.
The Congolese government commissioned an environmental audit of the Franco-British oil and gas company Perenco’s operations a year and a half ago because of long-standing reports of pollution. However, since then it has not provided a timeline for the publication of the final audit report, published no interim findings, and has not publicly disclosed vital information about air, soil, and water quality.