WWF logo
Issue  No. 3
April 1 9 9 7

header:
line


The situation in Eastern Kivu


Since September 1996, political instability and unrest, and the ensuing war in Eastern Kivu, has made working in and around the Parc National des Virunga over these past few months a difficult and dangerous task for the staff of the Institut Zairois pour la Conservation de la Nature. IZCN has not had the funds to pay its staff since September, they have handed their weapons over to the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (ADFL) which makes it dangerous to be inside the forest, and they no longer have permission to conduct armed patrols in the park. In addition, all park infrastructure has been looted and destroyed. Popol Verhoestraete, IGCP/Zaire Project Officer, has stayed in Goma throughout the political unrest. It seems that IZCN has received a tremendous moral boost knowing that IGCP remains committed to gorillas and conservation at a time when most NGOs are now altering their focus and location. Fortunately, it seems that all the habituated gorilla groups are unharmed, but, as yet, there is no information on the non-habituated groups.

For two years, whilst many of the refugee camps were situated on the border of the Parc National des Virunga, the refugees placed enormous pressure on the PNVi. They were provided with food, medicine and medical care by humanitarian aid organizations. But they were provided with only 30% of their fuelwood needs, and given uncooked food to eat. To meet this 70% fuelwood deficit, their only option was to exploit the Parc National des Virunga's resources. By November 1996, most refugees had fled the camps surrounding the park; the majority returned to Rwanda, but some travelled westwards, deeper into Zaire. As a direct result, the daily pressure and impact on the park has been decreased significantly. However, the resultant increase in the numbers of people in Rwanda struggling to meet their daily needs has created an increase in the numbers of people entering the Parc National des Volcans to cut wood, water and poach. IGCP/Rwanda is currently working with the Office Rwandais du Tourisme et des Parcs Nationaux (ORTPN) to help address this issue.

The International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP)'s overall goal is to 'ensure the survival and longterm conservation of mountain gorilas and afro-montane and medium altitude forest habitats in Rwanda, Uganda and Zaire'.








line

dot graphics The situation in Eastern Kivu

line

dot graphics Park evaluation

line

dot graphics Information from the Mikeno Sector Posts

line

dot graphics IZCN

line

dot graphics Extensive training programme in Rwanda and Zaire

line

dot graphics Field training

line

dot graphics English language training

line

dot graphics News from the field, Rwanda

line

dot graphicsFor more information



line