TotalEnergies expands fossil fuel extraction in Congo amid global energy transition debates

The Congo Basin is home to over 100 distinct Indigenous groups whose territories overlap with hydrocarbon reserves, yet their land tenure rights are systematically ignored in favor of corporate concessions. Traditional knowledge systems in the region have long warned of the ecological fragility of peatlands and rainforests, which act as critical carbon sinks—knowledge that is sidelined in favor of short-term extraction profits. Indigenous leaders in the DRC have repeatedly called for Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) protocols under UNDRIP, but these are routinely bypassed by companies like TotalEnergies operating under government-granted licenses.

This discovery follows a pattern of European energy companies exploiting African resources since the colonial era, when France and Belgium extracted rubber, minerals, and later oil from the Congo under extractive colonial economies. The post-independence era saw neocolonial resource contracts that locked African nations into unfavorable terms, a dynamic that persists today with TotalEnergies operating under DRC mining codes that favor foreign investors. Historical precedents like the 1970s OPEC oil crisis show how resource discoveries in the Global South often lead to geopolitical manipulation rather than equitable development.

In contrast to Western narratives that frame hydrocarbon discoveries as economic boons, many African philosophies view such ventures as 'developmental violence'—extracting wealth from the land while leaving behind environmental and social debt. The Congolese concept of *Ubuntu*—'I am because we are'—contrasts sharply with the individualistic profit motives driving TotalEnergies' operations, highlighting a fundamental cultural clash in value systems. Indigenous communities in the Amazon and Congo Basin share similar struggles against extractive industries, suggesting a transnational pattern of resistance that transcends national borders.

Scientifically, the discovery of hydrocarbons in the Congo Basin peatlands is particularly alarming, as these ecosystems store an estimated 30 billion tons of carbon—equivalent to three years of global emissions. Peer-reviewed studies show that peatland degradation from oil exploration releases CO2 at rates 10-50 times higher than undisturbed wetlands, directly contradicting TotalEnergies' claims of 'responsible' extraction. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has explicitly warned that no new oil, gas, or coal fields can be developed if the world is to meet the 1.5°C target, making this discovery scientifically incompatible with climate goals.

Artistically, the Congo Basin's hydrocarbon expansion has inspired works like Congolese musician Baloji's album *137 Avenue Kaniama*, which critiques resource extraction through poetic and visual storytelling. Spiritual leaders in the region, including Catholic bishops in the DRC, have condemned oil projects as 'sins against creation,' framing extraction as a moral failure. Traditional healers in the Congo have long used plants and rituals tied to specific ecosystems, many of which are threatened by oil spills and seismic testing, erasing both cultural heritage and medicinal knowledge.

Future scenarios modeling by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Climate Action Tracker show that continuing fossil fuel expansion in the Congo Basin would lock the region into a high-emissions pathway incompatible with global climate targets, risking 3-4°C warming by 2100. Alternative pathways, such as the African Development Bank's 'Desert to Power' initiative, demonstrate how solar and hydroelectric investments could meet energy needs without fossil fuels, but these are systematically underfunded. The discovery also raises questions about stranded asset risks—TotalEnergies' investments could become obsolete if global decarbonization accelerates, leaving the DRC with environmental damage and no economic recourse.

Marginalised voices in the DRC—particularly women in rural communities, Indigenous Pygmy groups, and artisanal miners—are entirely absent from this narrative, despite bearing the brunt of environmental degradation. Local activists like Neema Namadamu, founder of the Maman Shujaa Media Center, have documented how oil projects displace communities and exacerbate gender-based violence by disrupting traditional livelihoods. The Congolese government, while nominally sovereign, is heavily influenced by TotalEnergies and other foreign investors, leaving little space for democratic participation in energy decisions.