Canadian Winner of Congo's 'Killer' Lake Kivu Gas Rights Fails Criteria, Eastern Oil Block Bids Postponed Again

Documents obtained by Reuters reveal that a Canadian start-up, Alfajiri Energy Corporation, was chosen by the Democratic Republic of Congo for a project to extract methane from Lake Kivu, despite not meeting the tender's financial criteria. The company, registered just three weeks after the auction was announced, failed to provide the required three years of financial records. Additionally, a technical report assessing the bid appeared to have been altered in Alfajiri's favor. Lake Kivu is known as a "killer lake" due to the risk of deadly eruptions, and the extraction project aims to provide gas for power generation. Critics argue that improper extraction could increase the risk of eruptions and harm the lake's delicate balance.