Logging in the Democratic Republic of Congo once again causes scandal and injustice to coincide at all levels. Exploited indiscriminately, this sector respects neither nature nor local workers. Congo King Baisheng Forestry Development is now the subject of numerous accusations from the community, civil society, the Congolese government and even the General Inspectorate of Finance. Indeed, this company created in September 2019 operates on concessions in Mongala, pushing local villages to protest against the Chinese presence in this area. Wages are extremely low, with the average employee having no contract and working under constant pressure from the employer to produce their work. Labor and administrative standards are not respected. Employees have to fight to get paid and find it even harder to bemoan the overtime hours they work. In terms of safety, they are exposed to the dangers of pollution from lorries loaded with wood and often find themselves without access to medication in the event of a work accident. Although Congo King Baisheng Forestry Development has signed an agreement with the local dispensary, employees must buy their own food, even if it means days of hospitalization, without it being considered part of the job, and only the auxiliary employee, who is often Chinese, is required to receive a salary for his work.
Logging, particularly in Mongala, has become a source of poverty and misery for local workers, but also an ecological disaster for the region. The documents of the Action for the Promotion and Protection of Threatened Peoples and Species (APEM) confirm that the exploitation is carried out without discernment, without respect for the environment. Employees are not safe and regularly complain that they are not supported for the exercise of their work. The villagers are also affected, whether by the pollution from the trucks or by the disastrous impact of the uncontrolled exploitation of the forest on their health.
The Congolese authorities must take measures to regulate and supervise the exploitation of the wood, taking into account the impact on the workers but also on the environment and the local community. Curious companies seeking to exploit resources often profit from the labor of local workers without giving economic compensation. Chinese companies that operate concessions in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been criticized for their practices, particularly in respect of labor and safety standards. Congolese authorities must regulate and monitor companies that exploit natural resources, as it is important to pass on the economic benefits derived from these economic activities to the local community.