Prefers moist lowland equatorial forests and mature closed-canopy forest; also present in older secondary forests, but absent from swamp forest. It appears to prefer monodominant stands of Gilbertiodendron forest in areas such as Nouabale-Ndoki in Congo-Brazzaville and the lturi Forest in DR Congo (Hart 2013). Also reported to occur in forest-savanna mosaics in northern Gabon (East 1999) and coastal areas of SW Republic of Congo (Hart 2013).

The White-bellied Duiker has a disjunct distribution. In the west it ranges from southern Cameroon, south of the Sanaga River, through Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, northern and south-western Republic of Congo, and the extreme south-western Central African Republic (East 1999, Wilson 2001). In the east it occurs in north-east DR Congo, in the Ituri Forest, Maniema and north Kivu (Hart 2013). There are no confirmed records in between these two areas, in the central cuvette of DRC or south of the Congo river (Hart 2013). Reports from south-eastern Central African Republic and Uganda have also never been confirmed (Hart 2013). The species has not been reported from Cabinda (Angola), though it may possibly occur there, and also in Bas-Congo province of DRC (Hart 2013). Confirmed localities within the two areas of distribution are relatively few and widely scattered.

Important protected areas for this species include Lopé Reserve (Gabon), Monte Alén N.P. (Equatorial Guinea), Dzangha-Ndoki N.P. (CAR), Odzala and Nouabale-Ndoki NPs (Congo), and Kahuzi-Biega N.P., Maiko N.P. and Okapi Faunal Reserve (DR Congo) (East 1999, Hart 2013). Okapi Faunal Reserve is a stronghold for the species management of the bushmeat trade there would benefit conservation of the species (Hart 2013).