03/06/2020 (Agence Europe) – Based on a report by the Congolese Human Rights Observatory, on 17 April, the EU suspended part of its financial support to WWF for the project on the Messok Dja protected area because of its failure to respect the rights of Pygmies, the European Commission confirmed on 3 June. WWF is accused of not respecting the right of indigenous peoples who should be consulted. “This partial suspension is as a direct result of the critical reviews of the free, informed and prior consent (FPIC) process as well as due to a change in Congolese law. Funding will resume when an addendum is signed. The EU delegation in Brazzaville (responsible for this contract) and WWF are currently discussing the addendum to the contract, which also needs to be agreed with the Congolese government”, a senior official told EUROPE. (AN)