As COP30 approaches in Belém, Brazil, Greenpeace Africa Executive Director Dr. Oulie Keita is calling on African leaders to make a firm commitment to climate justice. In a powerful message, she reminds them that the continent, despite being one of the least responsible for global emissions, is bearing the brunt of climate change. Africa, she asserts, is not asking for charity: it demands fairness. Seneweb brings you the full text of Dr. Oulie Keita's message.

"From the guardians of the Congo Basin forests to young solar innovators, the continent is providing concrete solutions to tackle the climate crisis. Its message is clear: climate justice is not a favor, it is a shared responsibility."

Congo Basin, the forest that breathes for the world

In the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Lokolama, the earth breathes. Beneath the trees lies one of the largest peatlands on the planet, a carbon reservoir that has stabilized the climate for millennia.

If these forests fall, the global balance will be disrupted. And yet, those who protect them still struggle to have their land rights recognized.

This contrast symbolizes a broader injustice: Africa, home to one of the planet's green lungs, is bearing the brunt of a disruption it did not cause.

At COP30, she arrives with her experiences, her initiatives and one requirement: to move from promises to action.

Justice, not charity

From Kenya to the Comoros, successive floods and droughts are hitting already vulnerable populations. These voices, often silenced, remind us that the time for compassion is over; the time for justice is now.

Limiting warming to 1.5°C requires protecting forests and supporting those who defend them. The Congo Basin, the world's second largest rainforest, is not a carbon sink to be traded, but a living ecosystem threatened by deforestation and industrial exploitation.

Communities from Cameroon to the DRC are leading the way: participatory mapping, community areas, legal action. Their message to donors is clear: fund us directly, and we will protect what sustains the planet.

A just energy transition, or no transition at all

We must not repeat the mistakes of the past. Africa holds 60% of the world's solar potential, but receives only 12% of climate finance, most of which is in the form of loans.

How can we talk about a just transition when debt continues to suffocate our economies?

Africa is not waiting for a savior. From Senegal to Kenya, energy mix, solar energy and community innovation projects prove that a clean future is already within reach if global finance finally chooses to serve the people rather than the polluters.

Africa says stop to fossil fuel projects incompatible with the 1.5°C target, to false solutions and to empty promises.

Belém, the decisive turning point

This COP30, organized in Brazil, is being billed as the "COP of the forests". But to live up to this ambition, it must honor all tropical forests: the Amazon, the Congo Basin and New Guinea.

Humanity will have to choose: preserve these ecosystems as shields or sacrifice them for short-term gain.

African negotiators will need to speak with one voice on the continent's priorities: direct access to financing, protection of forests and indigenous peoples, and a just and sustainable energy transition.

This is not a question of posture, but of collective survival.

Africa, a player in the future

Africa is not a problem to be solved. It is a source of solutions, a continent of action, ingenuity and resilience.

In Belém, it's not just about defending one's interests, but about reminding the world of a simple truth: climate justice is not begged for. It is built.

It is now up to the leaders to rise to the occasion.

Because ultimately, climate justice is neither charity nor generosity: it is the very condition of our common future."