Paper long abstract:

The quest for natural resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to attract foreign investments, with an unprecedented enthusiasm in agriculture, mining, and forestry sectors. With 60% (nearly 160 million hectares) of national territory covered by the forests and natural reserves, the DRC is part of the Congo Bassin (second largest tropical forest of the planet), with a very rich biodiversity. However, the DRC finds itself in a difficult situation in the wake of Chinese and Russians rush for investments with the country so far having no clear national strategy to absorb this pressure from multinational companies on the one hand and local communities in need for arable lands on the other. In addition, an ambiguous legal framework which pits mining and forestry land laws has led to a disastrous competition for forests and land by foreign investors. For example, the 2011 Agricultural Law requires that all agricultural enterprises must be majority-owned by the Congolese state or by Congolese entrepreneurs although the state through the 2012 mining law has mining prevailing over the Agricultural Law. This leads to more investments in forestry and mining when compared to agriculture.

In illustrating the impact of Chinese investments on farmers' rights to access land, this paper will focus on Sombwe hydropower dam which has been under construction since 2019. The project is being undertaken by the Kipay company, funded by the Chinese, inside the Upemba National Park. With a capacity of 150MV the dam is located between two parks: Upemba, with an area of 11,739 km2 and Kundelungu (7600km2) and is a source of tensions involving local communities, the Kipay company, civil society organizations and the Congolese government. This paper interrogates the motivations behind the exploitation of forests and its impact on the rights of peasants who depend on agriculture, mostly around national parks. It contributes to growing debates on the role of investments (especially Chinese) in African economies and also broadens our understanding on struggles over land at a local level.