War in the DRC: Environmental Journalists Caught Between Bullets and Trees
By John Tsongo
This article highlights the challenges faced by environmental journalists in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), particularly in the eastern regions. It aims to draw attention to the extremely dangerous working conditions resulting from armed conflicts and the illegal exploitation of natural resources, including strategic minerals. The article emphasizes the importance of protecting these journalists—key witnesses to environmental crimes—in a conflict zone where nature is also a silent victim.
Since late 2021, North Kivu Province in eastern DRC has experienced a resurgence of insecurity in a conflict that has persisted for over 30 years. This instability threatens not only biodiversity but also environmental journalists, who are caught between armed violence and censorship. These professionals are fighting a double battle: to defend nature and to survive as journalists.
While the Congolese government and the international community denounce the actions of the M23 rebel group, local journalists say their work has become increasingly difficult and dangerous.
“It’s complicated to cover environmental issues during wartime, especially since the M23 is involved in degrading protected areas—even though they deny it,” explains Rugirama Munika (pseudonym), an environmental journalist based in Kiwanja, near Virunga National Park. “In the past, we could regularly visit these areas. Today, even approaching them can cost us our lives or lead to accusations of espionage,” he adds. “Talking about environmental protection makes you enemies,” he concludes.
An Ecological Crisis Behind the Frontlines
North Kivu is home to Virunga National Park, one of the world’s richest biodiversity reserves and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But war has turned it into a battlefield. Several UN reports have directly accused the M23 of being involved in the illegal timber trade and the exploitation of strategic minerals such as cobalt, coltan, uranium, gold, and diamonds.
On April 30, 2024, the M23-AFC coalition seized control of Rubaya, a mining town said by the Congolese government to contain 5% of the world’s coltan reserves—a key mineral for electronic devices. According to a UN report cited by RFI on January 10, 2025, this occupation brings the rebels up to $800,000 per month.
As early as December 1, 2024, Foreign Trade Minister Julien Paluku denounced the exploitation of pyrochlore—another strategic mineral—in Bwito chiefdom, Rutshuru territory, following the Kishishe massacre on November 30.
A confidential UN report dated July 3, 2025, confirmed that the M23 continues to exploit mining resources to fund its war effort. It cited the Rwandan company Boss Mining Solution as having purchased these so-called conflict minerals. Other armed groups have also been implicated in illegal resource extraction, according to various investigations, including one by RFI. Park rangers are overwhelmed and often powerless in the face of poaching, illegal logging, and ecosystem degradation.
Journalism Under Threat
In this climate of insecurity, journalists are increasingly reluctant to cover environmental issues—for fear of becoming victims themselves. “It’s a sad paradox,” says Patrick Siku, an environmental journalist based in Beni, near the park’s northern sector. “Like the eco-guards, journalists work in inhumane conditions,” he explains. He notes that many armed groups have made Virunga their base, making access to critical areas nearly impossible.
“For example, if you want to investigate hippos at the confluence of the Semuliki River, you can’t—there’s no security guarantee,” he laments.
Environmental journalism, essential for raising public awareness, has become one of the many casualties of the conflict. Journalists face intimidation, surveillance, and accusations of collaborating with the enemy, says Cikwanine Thomas (pseudonym), a journalist based in Goma. “This war restricts both our movements and our freedom of expression. Some colleagues have fled; others have quit journalism altogether. Many resort to self-censorship—otherwise, they risk prison or worse,” he explains.
Silenced Voices, Untold Stories
On February 27, 2025, the National Press Union of Congo (UNPC), North Kivu branch, issued a statement condemning, quote: “the abduction of a journalist aimed at silencing the media and spreading fear among journalists to shut down all independent outlets.”
On March 1, the NGO Journaliste en Danger (JED) also condemned the disappearance of Tuver Wundi, blaming the M23-AFC coalition. Tuver Wundi, an environmental journalist, human rights advocate, provincial director of the RTNC, university lecturer, and JED focal point, was arrested on February 25 and detained for 11 days—sparking strong reactions from JED and the UNPC.
For many human rights defenders, his detention constitutes a direct attack on the right to information. Environmental journalism—already underfunded and marginalized—is becoming nearly impossible. Out of fear of reprisals, many journalists abandon the environment beat altogether, even as some state actors are accused of illegal logging and mining.
Is the Congolese Government Becoming More Attentive?
In November 2022, the Congolese government, through a white paper on environmental crimes, accused the M23 of illegally exploiting Virunga National Park. These claims were supported by local environmental NGOs. The M23 continues to deny the allegations. On January 30, 2025, the group even threatened to sue the President of the Republic for defamation if they ever came to power—a threat they repeated at a press conference in Goma in June.
A Forgotten Front in the Quest for Justice
“Without journalists, no one is documenting the environmental crimes committed behind the scenes of the conflict,” warns Aimé Mbusa Mukanda, a human rights defender in Rutshuru.
Environmental researcher Kin Key Mbala (pseudonym) adds, “And without consequences, impunity reigns,” calling for environmental justice and accountability.
A Call for International Attention
This crisis goes beyond press freedom. It concerns the right to report on the destruction of ecosystems essential for life. The international community, UNESCO, media watchdogs, environmental NGOs, and human rights organizations must recognize that this conflict is silencing both people and the planet. This struggle should be of great interest to the United Nations. Indeed, Sustainable Development Goals 15 and 16 call for the restoration of peace in biodiversity-rich areas. The preservation of biodiversity, the reduction of violence, access to justice, and good governance—as outlined in these goals—are essential for protecting the DRC’s ecosystems. The involvement of the UN, alongside the Congolese government, is essential to reinforce conservation efforts. “If we lose the ability to tell these stories, we also lose the chance to protect what’s left,” warns Umbo Salama, university lecturer and environmental journalist based in Butembo.
Conclusion
As global attention remains focused on the humanitarian and political crisis in the DRC, the environmental tragedy must not be forgotten. On June 5, 2025—World Environment Day—Bienvenue Bwende, spokesperson for the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN), declared at the Higher Institute of Rural Development of the Great Lakes (ISDR-GL) in Goma: “Due to war, Virunga National Park has lost over 300 hectares of forest between 2021 and 2024.” He called for the return of peace as a prerequisite for sustainable conservation. All speakers on that day agreed: only lasting peace will allow for the effective preservation of the country’s natural heritage. A real and urgent solution is needed.
Published on the following websites on July 18, 2025
- Panaradio – https://panaradio.net/guerre-en-rdc-les-journalistes-environnementaux-pris-entre-les-balles-et-les-arbres
- La Fortune – https://lafortunerdc.net/2025/07/18/guerre-en-rdc-les-journalistes-environnementaux-pris-entre-les-balles-et-les-arbres/
- Naturelcd (fr) – https://naturelcd.net/2025/07/19/guerre-en-rdc-les-journalistes-environnementaux-pris-entre-les-balles-et-les-arbres/
- Naturelcd (Eng) – https://naturelcd.net/2025/07/19/war-in-the-drc-environmental-journalists-caught-between-bullets-and-trees/
- Ruwenzori Official University (Eng) – https://radioelimu.uor-rdc.net/war-in-the-drc-environmental-journalists-caught-between-bullets-and-trees/
- Université Officielle de Ruwenzori (fr) – https://radioelimu.uor-rdc.net/guerre-en-rdc-les-journalistes-environnementaux-pris-entre-les-balles-et-les-arbres/
- Ecoutez Radio – https://radioelimu.radio12345.com
About the Author: John Tsongo is a Congolese journalist dedicated to environmental protection and sustainable development, with over ten years of experience at the intersection of environmental journalism, strategic communication, peasant support, and ecological projects. Originally from North Kivu and now based in Goma, he holds a degree in Agronomy and Biodiversity Management from the Université Libre de Développement in Butembo. His expertise is complemented by specialized training in journalism, safety, environmental governance, and misinformation, collaborating with organizations such as GIZ, UNESCO, Reporters Without Borders, and Radios Rurales Internationales. Recognized for his work, he received the FXB Climate Advocates award in 2025, the Nelson Mandela Scholarship in 2023, and the Liz Hughes Prize in 2021, embodying a new generation of multidisciplinary Congolese changemakers in social, environmental, and media spheres.