126 environment defenders killed in Africa – Global Witness report

By Agbonkhese Oboh

No less than 126 by onshore and biology defenders were killed oregon disappeared successful Africa since 2012, with Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, accounting for astir two-thirds of these cases. Other cases are Kenya, six; Liberia, six; South Africa, six; Chad, five; Uganda, five, among respective others.

The information were portion of a study released by the Global Witness, titled “Roots of Resistance”, with DRC ranking arsenic the deadliest state successful Africa, and eighth successful the world, arsenic perpetrators to unopen down dissent.

Published today, Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Global Witness documented 146 cases worldwide successful 2024, down from 196 successful 2023. Meaning, connected average, astir 3 defenders are killed oregon disappeared each week.

Speaking astatine the Nigeria motorboat of the Global Witness 2025 study hosted by the Renevlyn Development Initiative, RDI, Global Witness Senior Advisor, Laura Furones, said: “These already chilling figures are astir apt a gross underestimate.

“The continued trouble successful gathering an grounds basal connected the concern faced by defenders successful Africa has led to the under-reporting of attacks and the under-representation of defenders successful this region.

“Just due to the fact that we are not signaling arsenic galore cases successful Africa, that does not mean it’s not unsafe for defenders.

“In fact, the other is true, with the terrible repression of civic abstraction leaving galore defenders excessively frightened to talk retired successful the archetypal place.”

On his part, the Executive Director of RDI, Philip Jakpor, said the study has breached the norm of planetary reports with far-reaching impacts that exclude Africa.

According to him, the study challenges situation and onshore rights defenders crossed Africa to ain their destinies by speaking up truthful that the galore injustices perpetrated by state-backed firm entities tin beryllium exposed and challenged.

In Africa…

Global Witness documented 9 defender killings crossed Africa successful 2024: 4 successful the DRC, 3 successful Liberia, 1 successful Cameroon, and 1 successful Madagascar.

All 4 of those killed successful DRC past twelvemonth were moving to support Upemba National Park from exploitation. Two were parkland rangers moving to forestall poaching and mining.

Two different defenders, who were helping to way the movements of elephants wrong the park, were kidnapped and recovered dormant days later.

Nigeria…

In Nigeria, the study captured the concern successful Ekuri assemblage connected the borderline of the Cross River National Park successful Cross River State, which is present connected the beforehand lines of a conflict to prevention its ancestral forest.

Despite winning a UN prize for their pioneering efforts, the Indigenous Nkukorli peoples person seen their sustainable wood absorption strategy undermined by authorities policies that person paved the mode for amerciable logging and enlargement of firm interests.

As a result, assemblage activists person been subjected to escalating threats, unit and criminalisation arsenic they combat to support their onshore and livelihoods.

… arrested

For instance, successful January this year, biology defender Odey Oyama was arrested by a squad of implicit 40 constabulary officers wearing masks and equipped with guns. Along with 4 others, helium was charged with promoting inter-communal war, which carries a punishment of beingness imprisonment.

According to Oyama, who is Executive Director of Rainforest Resource Development Centre, RRDC, “My apprehension was a wide effort to soundlessness maine for lasting up to firm logging interests and authoritative corruption. It’s a maneuver utilized to intimidate those who reason the demolition of our forests.

“Defending our situation is simply a perilous job. You tin easy beryllium killed. I person conscionable been lucky. It is captious that planetary bodies enactment wood defenders similar me, and clasp accountable those who facilitate amerciable logging.”

For Ekuri Initiative Chairman and Executive Director of Panacea for Developmental and Infrastructural Challenges for Africa, PADIC-Africa, Martins Egot, “Like truthful galore communities crossed the country, continent and the world, we person seen the devastating effects of rampant assets exploitation and corruption – and devastation of our onshore and situation – each successful the sanction of profit.

“We cognize however almighty community-led conservation tin beryllium ...