Kinshasa, DRC– Civil society organizations representatives and experts from the National Coalition against Illegal Logging (CNCEIB) together validated the basic texts and the strategic action plan as part of the transformation of this structure with a vision of empowerment, legality and ability to sue illegal loggers in the DRC.

The national secretary of the coalition, Alphonse Longbango, said on Tuesday, during the general assembly at the CEPAS center in Kinshasa. « The coalition is changing strategies to address its weakness of the past as it could not carry out legal action against illegal loggers. The most important is to get the coalition to take legal action against illegal timber harvesters, « he said, adding that his organization had done enough to denounce and made recommendations to decision-makers.

For Alphonse Longbango, the coalition wants to work with the judicial authorities and intends to have a legal identity to help carry out legal actions against illegal loggers.

« Today we want to have effective actions to persuade illegal loggers. Forest law must be enforced, courts intervene, and forestry offenses must be punished”, said Longbango.

With regard to funding, he said that the empowerment and legality of the coalition would make it possible to mobilize resources that would help other members to take the necessary and useful actions.

Previously, WWF Forestry Governance Program Coordinator Jean-Marie Bolika indicated that his organization would back up the coalition by providing support that would enable this organization advocate to improve forest governance in the DRC.

The CNCEIB, which was set up in 2012, pursues a number of useful objectives, including researching, documenting, denouncing and publishing information related to illegal exploitation of timber and other natural resources and contributing to the fight against  illegal timber exploitation and exhaustible natural resources by supporting the efforts of the DRC Government.

For further information, please contact:

Dandy Yela –Communications Manager WWF DRC : +243 999964899, dyela@wwfdrc.org

Christian Mpassi – Communications Officer WWF DRC : + 243 97 600 61 24, CMpassi@wwfdrc.org