Congo’s Virunga National Park, the oldest national park in Africa and the Salonga National Park, home to endangered Gorillas have been handed over by Congo's President to a UK oil company, Soco, to be destroyed for oil exploration.

Last month, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) triggered international outrage when it confirmed that it was considering opening up two of its national parks to oil exploration.

It said a committee would put together plans to declassify parts of Salonga and Virunga in a bid to increase oil production.