Luanda, 05 July, 2024 / 11:37 am (ACI Africa).
Mayombe forest, the world’s second most extensive forest after the Amazon is being exploited by mainly foreigners, who have “no limits to their appetites”, Bishop Belmiro Cuica Chissengueti of Angola’s Catholic Diocese of Cabinda has lamented.
In his address during the opening of a Diocesan Conference on the Preservation of the Mayombe Forest on Tuesday, July 2, Bishop Chissengueti warned against “rampant exploitation” of the forest that is located in his Episcopal See and spreads to three other African nations, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Congo Brazzaville, and Gabon.
“Mayombe forest is the second largest in the world, so its destruction could have devastating effects on the whole planet,” he said during the conference that was held at the Hall of the Our Lady Queen of the World Cathedral of Cabinda Diocese.
The Angolan-born member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans/Holy Ghost Fathers/CSSp.) added, “Climate change has had a strong impact on the planet and actions to degrade the environment, such as rampant exploitation, could worsen the maintenance of the balance necessary for the sustainability of humanity.”
“Our loggers, here in our province, while exploiting the Mayombe Forest, also have a responsibility to replant it so that it doesn't become extinct,” the Catholic Church leader said during the conference, which the Justice and Peace Commission of Cabinda Diocese organized under the theme, “Mayombe Forest Together for the Preservation of the Environment.”
