By Chidi Ugwu

Copyright independent

…Countless More Criminalised

A new Global Witness report, Roots of Resistance, published on Wednesday revealed that at least 126 land and environmental defenders have been killed or disappeared in Africa since 2012, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) accounting for nearly two-thirds of these cases.

Published Wednesday September 17, 2025, the report highlighted the ongoing dangers faced by defenders across the continent as they confront exploitation and fight to protect natural resources.

Globally, 146 defenders were killed or disappeared in 2024, down from 196 in 2023, averaging three cases per week. In Africa, nine killings were documented last year: four in the DRC, three in Liberia, one in Cameroon, and one in Madagascar, noted the report.

The DRC, with 78 cases since 2012, ranks as Africa’s deadliest country for defenders and eighth globally. In 2024, all four DRC victims were protecting Upemba National Park, including two park rangers combating poaching and mining, and two others tracking elephants, who were kidnapped and later found dead.

Other African countries with significant cases since 2012 include Kenya (6), Liberia (6), South Africa (6), Chad (5), and Uganda (5). However, Global Witness notes these figures likely underreport the true scale of violence due to challenges in data collection, restricted civic space, and poor recognition of environmental and land rights.

Laura Furones, Senior Advisor at Global Witness, said: “These chilling figures are likely a gross underestimate. Severe repression of civic space leaves many defenders too scared to speak out. The under-reporting of attacks in Africa does not mean it’s less dangerous—quite the opposite.”

Beyond killings, defenders face criminalization, threats, and violence. In Nigeria’s Ekuri community, once a model for community-led conservation, Indigenous activists face escalating attacks for resisting illegal logging and corporate expansion.

At the report’s Nigeria launch in Lagos, hosted by the Renevlyn Development Initiative, Ekuri Initiative Chairman Martins Egot emphasized the power of community-led conservation: “When communities like ours are empowered, they become the most effective guardians of the environment.”

In another case, Nigerian environmental defender Odey Oyama was arrested in January 2025 by over 40 masked police officers and charged with promoting inter-communal war, a crime carrying life imprisonment.

Oyama, Executive Director of Rainforest Resource Development Center, said: “My arrest was a clear attempt to silence me for opposing corporate logging and corruption. Defending our environment is perilous—you can easily be killed.”

The report also highlights abuses linked to the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) in Uganda and Tanzania, with at least 96 detentions or arrests of pipeline opponents reported between December 2023 and August 2024.

Global Witness called for greater international support for defenders and accountability for those facilitating environmental destruction.