Images that raise awareness among local people about legal timber in Province Orientale (DR Congo).

The campaign will be using comics books produced in three languages (French and two local languages: Lingala and Swahili) to raise awareness about legal logging among local stakeholders. This awareness tool tells a story of two friends: Bosembo, an honest businessman with a high sense of patriotism; and Mafia, an artisanal miller, wood specialist of skulduggery and tax evader. As they say: "the light overcomes darkness," Bosembo eventually convinces his friend to respect the laws and stop operating in the clandestine way that stifles his business.

In his presentation, the provincial Minister of Natural Resources of the Oriental Province, Paulin Odiane, thanked Tropenbos International DR Congo for its contribution in the fight against illegal logging.

This awareness is part of the project activities "VPA-FLEGT: legal logging and trade of artisanal timber, a business for all in Province Orientale". Tropenbos International DR Congo is carrying out this project with the support of FAO and the European Union to promote the involvement of local actors in the process of negotiating a FLEGT-VPA (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade, Voluntary Partnership Agreement) between DR Congo and the European Union.