On the eve of an important decision by the Board of the World Bank, ' Pygmy ' people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have issued a major challenge to the Bank about its plans to open up the world's second largest rainforest for massive industrial felling of timber.

Since 2002, the World Bank has taken a leading role in reforming DRC's forestry laws, starting the process of 'zoning' the forest into areas for timber felling and other uses, and encouraging foreign investment in the timber industry [1].

As this newsletter was going to press, we heard the tragic newsassassination of Pascal Kabungulu, Executive Secretary oJustice, a human rights activist who was unflagging in his courage and his dedicated work for the rights of the poorest and most marginalized people in one of the world’s most violent and dangerous countires. He was killed at his home in Bukavu, Democratic Republic in the early hours of the morning of July 31st. Armed men in uniform broke into the house and dragged Pascal from his room.

In a major development, leading international conservation, environmental, indigenous and development organizations have united to oppose expansion of industrial logging in the Congo rainforest - the second largest rainforests remaining. This is perhaps the rainforest struggle of the decade.

The full transcript of the video conference between the Rainforest Foundation, Congolese organisations, the World Bank, and others, concerning the Bank's involvement in the forests of the Congo, that took place on July 8th, is now available for download at this website:

 http://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/sites/default/files/Transcript.pdf

Good News! Below is a press release from our campaign partner, the Rainforest Foundation in the UK.  Since January this year, we’ve been sending letters to World Bank president James Wolfensohn on behalf of DRC forest communities. The good news is that Wolfensohn agreed to listen directly to indigenous peoples of DRC, and promises continued dialogue with them concerning the Bank’s plans for forest exploitation.  THANKS for every letter you wrote on this issue!  More letters will certainly help.
 
 
RAINFOREST FOUNDATION
PRESS RELEASE

 The Twa were the first inhabitants of the equatorial forests of the Great Lakes region. Originally a high-altitude forest people, inhabiting the mountains of the Albertine Rift Area in Central Africa, they specialized in hunting and gathering. At present, the Twa of the Great Lakes region of Central Africa live in Burundi, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and southwest Uganda.

The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (known as MONUC) confirmed in a January 15 report accusations that rebel soldiers in the northeast have been murdering and cannibalizing the indigenous Mbuti, or Pygmies, and other civilians in the region. MONUC documented witness accounts of Mbuti being killed and eaten, or forced to cook remains of their neighbors and relatives near the town of Beni.