Greed of British Petroleum endangerment region of greatest biodiversity of Africa

WWF environmentalists denounced British oil company .According to the organization , company threatens habitat for endangered animals .WWF environmentalists denounced British oil company .According to the organization , company threatens habitat for endangered animals .AFPComment now 2004 photo shows a chain of volcanoes around the Virunga National Park , Democratic Republic of Congo . ( Photo : AFP Photo / Riccardo Gangale )Environmentalists of the World Wide Fund for Nature ( WWF , its acronym in English ) made ​​a complaint on Monday ( 7 ) against a British oil company accused of intimidating the local population and threaten wildlife in the oldest nature reserve in Africa , the area of ​​greatest biodiversity in the continent .The organization claims that the activities of oil exploration company Soco International in Virunga National Park and its surroundings , in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo , leave " people, animals and habitats at risk " , in addition to violating the guidelines established by the International Organization Cooperation and Development (OECD ) , in a complaint lodged against the organization ." The only way to get a punch in accordance with the OECD guidelines is the company to finally end the exploration in Virunga ," said Lasse Gustavsson , executive director of conservation at WWF International ." We asked the company to suspend its activities immediately ," he added . Organizations can rely on the OECD guidelines on ethical business behavior as a way to pressure companies and even governments .The Punch rejected the accusations , considering them " baseless " on its website , adding that it did not initiate operational activities and will do this until impact studies have been completed .Virunga is one of the oldest places of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most environmentally diverse area of the African continent , home to thousands of rhinos and 200 mountain gorillas , an endangered species .An assessment made ​​by the punch itself on its exploration in the park alert to the potential for pollution and damage to fragile habitats of animals in Virunga .The WWF claims that Punch has used state security to intimidate critical to your business and says that the organization failed to discover the true impact of development during consultations with local residents .Soco 's contract with the Congolese government effectively exempts the company additional regulations , says WWF , asking that the company also considers the health and livelihoods of 50 000 local residents.The UK is a founding member of the OECD and the organization's guidelines were used earlier to put political pressure on the British government .Anthony Field , WWF activist in the UK , told AFP that " the OECD Guidelines are the most respected standards of good practice in business and are internationally recognized by 45 countries , including the UK ."The complaints to the OECD can be " incredibly effective," said Field , giving as an example a case in 2009 , when the mining company Vedanta Resources was ordered by London for disrespecting the rights of an indigenous group when planning to explore a bauxite mine in the state of Orissa .The Punch reported that its first environmental impact studies were done in ' close cooperation ' with the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation , which manages the park