Here's an interesting article of Mr. JP Jobogo on the tragic situation North Kivu and the impact on the nature of human life.
Gorillas sector under rebels control
By: JP Mirindi Jobogo (ICCN-Goma-DRC)
It is now two month since i returned from Ireland where attended a course in World Heritage Management. I thought this was the right time to share my academic experience with my colleagues in the field, unfortunately the park was hosting rebels instead of tourists. Maximum efforts were done by rangers and conservation NGOs after the killing of the four gorillas in August 2007. The Chief Warden Norbert Mushenzi and others colleagues were very active, but they could not resist after the deployment of rebels group commanded by Laurent Nkunda in Mikeno sector.
Eight gorillas were killed since January 2007 and the number of the rangers killed under the course of their duties keeps on increasing. Since August, the park has no longer the control on gorilla sector where the militias are based. Fifty habituated gorillas are lost in the transboundary region between DRC, Rwanda and Uganda. They will be safe if they managed to escape in the neighbouring reserves in Rwanda or in Uganda. It is difficult to confirm weather they are safe or not. We hope the political crisis will get a solution very soon so that we monitor the remaining population and protect them.
Rangers from Bikenge, Bukima and Jomba Patrol Posts were obliged to bring their families to the Head Quarters. The whole gorilla sector including Rutshuru, Jomba and Rugari is currently occupied by militias.
This has also affected school children to move to the new villages since there was a fear that school children will be enrolled forcefully rebel’s movement. The situation remains confused and some sectors are inaccessible. Last week end 27 October 2007, the rangers from Kabaraza attempted to conduct a patrol along Ngwenda River to monitor the hippo pool; unfortunately they fall in an ambush and exchanged fire with the Mai Mai rebels. The rangers run short of bullet and RWIKO was shot dead while GATO was injured at the shoulder and was rescued by Medecins Sans Frontieres team based at Kiwanja; Gato is now recovering in Rutshuru hospital.
The crisis is now general and has affected the community’s livelihood in both Masisi and Rutshuru. The price of food at local market has increased; all farmers are now living as refugees in camps where they are being assisted by local NGOs, In Goma the price of charcoal has increased from 5,500 Fr. (11 USD) to 11,000 Fr. (20 USD) almost a double; this has also caused an impact on deforestation around the park. On the park,s level, in the central sector the Mai Mai have agreed to join the government army and are now regrouped to get ready to the military training. A section of rangers was deployed last week to protect the remaining hippos after the departure of the Mai Mai rebels group. Lulimbi sector is still occupied by Interahamwe rebels group, and Rumangabo in the gorilla sector, the rangers posts are occupied by rebels since September and all park staff are regrouped at Rumangabo Head Quarters and others in Goma until the area is safe. On the other side of Rwanda and Uganda, gorilla tourism is doing as normal. We hope there will be a solution on the crisis to allow rangers to monitor the remaining gorillas after the cisefire.
By: JP Mirindi Jobogo (ICCN-Goma-DRC)
It is now two month since i returned from Ireland where attended a course in World Heritage Management. I thought this was the right time to share my academic experience with my colleagues in the field, unfortunately the park was hosting rebels instead of tourists. Maximum efforts were done by rangers and conservation NGOs after the killing of the four gorillas in August 2007. The Chief Warden Norbert Mushenzi and others colleagues were very active, but they could not resist after the deployment of rebels group commanded by Laurent Nkunda in Mikeno sector.
Eight gorillas were killed since January 2007 and the number of the rangers killed under the course of their duties keeps on increasing. Since August, the park has no longer the control on gorilla sector where the militias are based. Fifty habituated gorillas are lost in the transboundary region between DRC, Rwanda and Uganda. They will be safe if they managed to escape in the neighbouring reserves in Rwanda or in Uganda. It is difficult to confirm weather they are safe or not. We hope the political crisis will get a solution very soon so that we monitor the remaining population and protect them.
Rangers from Bikenge, Bukima and Jomba Patrol Posts were obliged to bring their families to the Head Quarters. The whole gorilla sector including Rutshuru, Jomba and Rugari is currently occupied by militias.
This has also affected school children to move to the new villages since there was a fear that school children will be enrolled forcefully rebel’s movement. The situation remains confused and some sectors are inaccessible. Last week end 27 October 2007, the rangers from Kabaraza attempted to conduct a patrol along Ngwenda River to monitor the hippo pool; unfortunately they fall in an ambush and exchanged fire with the Mai Mai rebels. The rangers run short of bullet and RWIKO was shot dead while GATO was injured at the shoulder and was rescued by Medecins Sans Frontieres team based at Kiwanja; Gato is now recovering in Rutshuru hospital.
The crisis is now general and has affected the community’s livelihood in both Masisi and Rutshuru. The price of food at local market has increased; all farmers are now living as refugees in camps where they are being assisted by local NGOs, In Goma the price of charcoal has increased from 5,500 Fr. (11 USD) to 11,000 Fr. (20 USD) almost a double; this has also caused an impact on deforestation around the park. On the park,s level, in the central sector the Mai Mai have agreed to join the government army and are now regrouped to get ready to the military training. A section of rangers was deployed last week to protect the remaining hippos after the departure of the Mai Mai rebels group. Lulimbi sector is still occupied by Interahamwe rebels group, and Rumangabo in the gorilla sector, the rangers posts are occupied by rebels since September and all park staff are regrouped at Rumangabo Head Quarters and others in Goma until the area is safe. On the other side of Rwanda and Uganda, gorilla tourism is doing as normal. We hope there will be a solution on the crisis to allow rangers to monitor the remaining gorillas after the cisefire.
