Josué Aruna
Josué Aruna is a human rights defender, the provincial president of Société Civile Environnementale et Agro-Rurale du Congo (Environmental and Agro-Rural Civil Society of Congo - SOCEARUCO) in South Kivu province and the executive director of the Congo Conservation Society (CBCS). The defender advocates for better governance of natural resources and the protection of the environment and the human rights of local communities. Since June 2020, the defender has denounced the illegal exploitation and trade of red wood in South Kivu province.
HRDs in the Democratic Republic of Congo are at risk of killings, threats, intimidation and judicial harassment. The risks are especially acute for WHRDs and HRDs working on land and environmental rights who are often seen as a threat to economic interests.
