Licensing rights for 30 oil and gas blocks in the Democratic Republic of Congo went up for auction on Thursday, opening parts of the world's second-biggest rainforest to drilling that could release large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.
President Felix Tshisekedi presided over the launch of bidding at a ceremony in the capital Kinshasa. Attendees included representatives from France's TotalEnergies and several domestic companies, although spokeswoman from the French oil giant said the company would not participate in bidding.
