The Situation in Zaire - Impressions from a Journey

The aim of my trip through the countries Uganda, Rwanda and Zaire from 9 February to 3 April 1996 was to gain topical information for a travel-guide. In order to be independent from the catastrophic transport system in Zaire, I mainly travelled by bicycle.
At the border from Rwanda to Zaire, UNHCR shuttle buses are passing. They transfer Hutu refugees daily from the camps at Goma to Rwanda, but they are largely empty. According to UNHCR, 40-60 refugees return from Zaire to Rwanda every day, and at the same time about 100 Tutsi who had formerly fled to Uganda immigrate back to Rwanda daily. Most of them come from the Masisi region west of Goma, where Interahamwe militia started with ethnic cleansing.
On the Zairean side of the border, detailed checks are carried out. Tremendous sums of money are requested especially from journalists and NGO staff. (Editor's remark, July 1996: the crossing of the border between Rwanda and Zaire is no more possible since May 1996.) Goma is neglected completely and decayed. Everyday life, however, abounds with vitality, and surprisingly almost all means of transport and accommodation of the past are available. The condition of the hotels is often appaling; US$ 30 can be charged for a rotten room without light.
Paradoxically, the establishment of refugee camps has resulted in a stimulation of the economy; apart from the foreign currency that the numerous NGO and UN staff members crowding this region bring into Goma, businesses with the refugees contribute a great deal to this. Zairean officials and soldiers hardly receive any money; therefore, corruption and pillage by the soldiers have reached an extent that can hardly be imagined. As the payment of the soldiers is frequently assumed by citizens, wealthy merchants and also by the UNHCR, extensive lootings like those in 1992/1993 did not take place. The security situation in Goma is nevertheless bad. The nights are dangerous because of pillaging soldiers and juvenile bands. In addition, the Rwandan militia commit terror acts close to the border to deter refugees who would like to return and thereby destabilize the "new" Rwanda.
With the boat of the Bralima brewery I crossed Lake Kivu to Bukavu, to visit the Zairean-German cooperative project for the Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Bukavu is in a similarly decayed state as Goma, but the visitor feels much more secure. In spite of the refugees, everyday life there seems normal.
About 300,000 refugees are living near Bukavu, according to UNHCR, in several small camps far outside of town. The Kachusha camp with about 100,000 Rwandans is the only one close to the Kahuzi-Biega Park.
Since financial support was fully re-established at the beginning of 1995, the German Technical Aid (GTZ) within the project "Integrated Conservation Eastern Zaire" (PNKB/GTZ) is working effectively again. As a result of the committed efforts of the project personnel, it was possible to stop the negative impact of the refugees and militias in the park. The park rangers are payed regularly by the GTZ; this is the basis for their motivated and excellent work. During the 5 days that I stayed in the Kahuzi-Biega Park, the good impression of the conservation activities was strengthened, and on each of our trips to Kasirusiru and to Mt. Biega, Kalonge, Tshibati and Mt. Kahuzi, we met committed park rangers on patrols.
Close to the station Tshivanga at the park entrance, a new visitor center has been constructed, and comfortable modern bungalows for visitors are planned. The visitors who are to use this accomodation, however, are still missing because of the refugees.
The most attractive of the four habituated gorilla groups at the moment is the Nindja group which I also visited. After the killing of the famous Maheshe, which had been arranged by pygmies in commission of a businessman from Kavumu in 1993, the leadership of the rest of the group was taken over by the patriarch's son, Maheshe II.
I returned to Goma in a small airplane and from there by bicycle on the Rutshuru road to Tongo in the southern sector of the Virunga National Park. (The southern and the middle sector of this park, including Rwindi, were under the control of rebels in May and conservation work was no longer possible.)
More than 700,000 refugees are living around Goma, the vast majority in the three camps Kibumba, Katale and Kahindo, which are all situated along the Goma-Rutshuru road in direct contact to the park. In the beginning of the refugee disaster, about 15% of the forest in the park was felled to meet the demand for wood and charcoal, according to the park administration, and a much larger part is heavily disturbed and cleared. Meanwhile, eucalypt wood, which is cut in the surroundings, is provided to the camp inhabitants by humanitarian aid organizations. The deforestation of cultivated land in the Kivu region is enormous. During May, the cutting of wood in the Virunga National Park increased again.
The Kibumba camp spreads up the slopes of Mt. Karisimbi and therefore comes close to the mountain gorilla area. North of Rumangabo, the Katale and Kahindo camps lie adjacent to the Virunga National Park. Crowds of people walk on the dirt road to Tongo in their search for water, wood and bush meat.
I had the impression that the situation in the Virunga Park could also be kept under better control if the rangers received acceptable wages and the number of rangers were increased. The dimension of professionally organized poaching in the savanna areas near Rwindi and Ishango at Lake Edward is frightening. According to information of the GTZ, in the past 2 years alone, about 11,000 hippos have been shot.
At the end of my trip to Zaire, I visited the mountain gorilla station in Djomba. In March, Djomba was visited frequently and could be reached quickly and safely from Uganda via the little frontier crossing Bunagana. The entry formalities were minimal. In Bunagana I met the only friendly and cooperative soldiers and custom officers of my whole Zaire journey.

Christoph Luebbert

Dr. Christoph Lübbert studied medicine in Kiel, Germany. In 1991, he travelled to eastern Africa for the first time, and after that he visited Africa every year. Meanwhile, he has travelled through 12 African countries. His travel reports were published in various magazines and newsletters. He co-authored a travel guide for Tanzania and Zanzibar and one for Malawi. In 1996, he published a travel guide for Uganda and eastern Zaire.

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