Oshwe

Oshwe
Commune
Oshwe Location in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Coordinates: 3.418837°S 19.433441°E / -3.418837; 19.433441
Country	DR Congo
Province	Mai-Ndombe
Territory	Oshwe
Elevation [1]	1,150 ft (350 m)
Population  (2012)[2]
• Total	22,576
Time zone	UTC+1 (West Africa Time)

Oshwe is a community in Mai-Ndombe province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is the headquarters of Oshwe territory. The town lies on the Lukenie River.[3] The estimated population as of 2012 was 22,576.[2] The town is served by Oshwe Airport (ICAO: FZBD) at an elevation of 1,150 feet (350 m).[1][4]

In September 2010 hundreds of people demonstrated against SODEFOR (Société de Développement Forestier), a subsidiary of Nordsudtimber of Liechtenstein. They were demanding a halt to industrial logging in the region, which degrades the rainforest on which the community depends without bringing benefits to the impoverished community.[5]

In 2012, the Oshwe radio station converted to more reliable solar power and increased its antenna height, allowing it to broadcast information to other villages within a 100 kilometres (62 mi) radius.[6]

References

1. "Oshwe Airport Information". International Air Charter. Retrieved 2012-02-03.
2. "Bandundu: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population". World Gazetteer. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-03.
3. Blaes, X. (October 2008). "Découpage administratif de la République Démocratique du Congo" (PDF). UNOCHA and PNUD. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-04-01. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
4. HERE Maps - Oshwe
5. "Greenpeace witnesses DRC's Oshwe Communities Protest Against Logging Company". Greenpeace. September 23, 2010. Archived from the original on January 30, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-03.
6. "Solar-Powered Community Radio!". Greenpeace. July 11, 2012. Retrieved 2015-11-03.