‘They’re selling our oxygen!’ Rumours and conservation in Yangambi Biosphere Reserve

Abstract

Drawing on a case study of Yangambi Biosphere Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo, this article explores rumours in the context of conservation projects. Such rumours have long been interpreted as ‘weapons of the weak’ – or covert forms of resistance. Our findings show that conservation rumours do not only signal resistance, or demands conservation actors go away. Through dramatic (tellable) tales about the sale of oxygen, they also reflect claims for greater ‘incorporation’ into benefits that conservation projects could offer. On the one hand, this speaks to the agency of rumours’ tellers. On the other, it is an imprint of broader structures: a history of exclusionary conservation but also development opportunities. This context shapes people’s expectations for what conservation should deliver, which is what shows up in the rumours. Insofar as rumours convey deeper moral truths, they also catalyse (covert and overt) political actions.