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In Congo, the mention of oil remains a taboo subject. But the bishops have broken the silence by telling the authorities they’ve got to be more open and efficient when it comes to controlling this product. There’s also got to be a fair share-out of profits among all Congo’s citizens
Congo’s bishops are courageous. In July, they dared to publish a hard-hitting Declaration concerning oil, in the Catholic newspaper, La Semaine Africaine (11 July). This followed a special meeting, held at the beginning of June in Brazzaville, with the theme: «Oil and the Church’s mission in Congo».
It’s not the first time that Congo’s Catholic bishops have tackled this subject. Already in 1998, at the end of the disastrous 1997 civil war, which resulted in President Pascal Lissouba’s overthrow, the bishops issued a Pastoral Letter entitled: «Congo Hungers and Thirsts for Peace», in which they considered the highly important product — oil. They weren’t afraid to underline that there’s many ways in which Congo can achieve its development. But they raised the question: «How is it that, while for 30 years there’s been a continual discovery of major oil wells, there hasn’t been any radical improvement in the people’s way of life? «The wealth coming from oil must be a means whereby our people are enabled to live, not to die». they insisted.
More recently still, in May 2001, in the Pastoral Letter entitled: «Dialogue, Truth, Justice, the Way of Peace», the bishops wrote: «There can be no lasting peace without good management of the Nation’s income, without employment for our young people. Development and peace will never be possible as long as the present scandalous inequalities which exist between the “haves” and the “have-nots”, continue and even worsen».
But all these hard-hitting messages don’t seem to have much repercussion among the politicians, neither in public opinion.
A bombshell
However, this time, following the 11 July Declaration, the reaction was very different. The bishops’ Declaration had the effect of a bombshell, especially in the international media which gave it wide publicity. So much so that those people and publications supporting the present government, were pretty annoyed, to say the least!
In fact, all the bishops did was to bring into the open, information which until then had been more or less covered up. The various governments and the oil companies such as TotalFinaElf, Agip, Chevron working in Congo, aren’t too keen that the people should know everything!
Congo’s economy is based on oil. Re: Income from taxation — 72% comes oil; Re: Income from exports — 92% comes from oil. The bishops warned: «Our country’s oil won’t last for ever». And they criticised: «It’s clear there’s a cover-up in the way oil production and distribution are managed». The Declaration underlined: «Congo is Black Africa’s third most important producer of oil (coming after Nigeria and Angola). In 2000, production was reckoned to be 1.3 million tons (265,000 barrels per day).
Yet with all this potential wealth, Congo is head-over-heels in debt. At the end of 1999, the total national debt was $5.4 billion ($2,000 per capita). 80% of this was foreign debt. The Declaration further explains: «Suffering, war, poverty, lack of infrastructures, violence and looting have seriously increased our people’s poverty. 70% of the population live below the poverty-line. 60% of the working population are unemployed. It’s up to the State to ensure a more just and equitable society in which all can live decently. This is possible».
Consequently, the bishops petitioned President Sassou Nguesso (elected with nearly 90% of votes cast), and the new Members of Parliament, to ensure that the country’s affairs are managed properly. After all, that’s what they been voted into Office for! The bishops suggest taking as a starting point, Chad’s experience. There should be appropriate legislation concerning the way in which income from oil is to be used. This will be safeguarded by setting up a Control Committee, made up of representatives of the State, Church and civil society. Also, there should be separate accounts in the Treasury as well as in international financial institutions. The bishops called for dialogue between the government, the oil companies working in Congo and civil society, on the question of Congo’s debt. In 2002, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) published a report on Congo’s development in which it is emphasised that the country’s debt constitutes a major constraint for its economic development.
According to the bishops, this new law should fix the way in which the revenue from oil is distributed between the central government and the regions, without forgetting setting aside funds for investment and priority infrastructures. The law would also envisage the regular publication of the Congolese National Petroleum Company (SNPC)’s financial report. The way things are at present, the SNPC acts rather like a secret cabinet.
The bishops say that once this law is established, a percentage of oil revenue should be set aside «for our future generations, following Norway’s example. These savings should be made available only when the country’s oil production is completely exhausted».
The bishops of Congo also had a message for the international community. They called for «just a little more attention to our country’s needs. Congo has only recently taken on board again the democratic process and wants to consolidate the country’s newly-found peace. But there is no peace without social justice. We believe that peace cannot be built without help from the international community, international financial institutions and multinationals working in our country. We request the co-operation of the international financial institutions (the International Monetary Fund (IMF] and the World Bank). This can be done by ensuring that instead of Congo’s revenue being used to pay off the foreign debt, it is used for the country’s social needs.
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