COP30 at Belém: Josué Aruna warns of escocide threat, calls for international protection of Congo’s waters and forests

During a high-level side event dedicated to the recognition of ecocide as an international crime à Belem in bazil, Josué Aruna, Sectional President of the Environmental Civil Society of South Kivu, delivered a strong and uncompromising message at COP30 , the destruction of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s waters and forests is no longer an environmental issueit is an existential threat for millions of people.

In a speech grounded in scientific rigor and political urgency, he reminded delegates that freshwater in the DRC is not just a natural asset but “the matrix of life”a vital system that shapes cultures, agriculture, identities and national stability. Despite having no coastline, the DRC remains one of the planet’s hydrological powerhouses, thanks to the Congo Basin and the “atmospheric rivers” generated by its vast tropical forest.

But these life-support systems are now in grave danger. Aruna denounced a triple threat: mining pollution poisoning rivers, deforestation accelerating erosion, and armed conflict turning water and forest into “silent victims.”

In eastern DRC, he stressed, violence and illegal exploitation have deprived thousands of families of drinking water and devastated ecosystems that took centuries to form.

Facing this crisis, he outlined a three-pillar agenda for urgent action.

First, strengthen local protection by empowering riverine communities and recognizing indigenous knowledge.

Second, enforce political accountability through strict regulation of extractive industries and an end to environmental impunity.

Third, mobilize genuine international solidarity that considers Congo Basin waters and forests not as resources to exploit, but as cornerstones of global climate stability.

Aruna strongly reiterated his country’s stance in favor of recognizing ecocide as an international crime, recalling that the DRC—alongside Vanuatu—was among the first African states to demand its inclusion in the Rome Statute. Such recognition, he argued, would “draw a clear red line” against deliberate destruction of nature.

This legal shift would give Congolese communities the tools to hold powerful actors accountable—whether multinational corporations or armed groups—and place the protection of water, forests and future generations at the center of international law.

“In the DRC, the destruction of nature is inseparable from human suffering,” Aruna concluded. “Recognizing ecocide means defending our right to survival, dignity, and peace. Water connects countries, continents and oceans. Its protection must connect us to