Will the Virunga National Park Survive the Current Crisis?

The crisis in which Africa's Great Lakes' region has been gripped for about 10 years impacts upon all components of society. The region's fauna and flora are no exception. The economy is in a desolate state and the population has become extremely poor, some people survive by poaching animals in protected areas and by destroying the timber resources (e. g. through the production of charcoal, trade in precious timber etc.). The park's resources are sold extremely cheaply and undercutting competition with legally produced materials in the majority of public markets around the protected area. As the guards were disarmed in November 1996 and because they basically have no operational funds available, poachers and others whose occupations have a negative impact on the park are at an advantage and can operate easily.
In North Kivu, trouble started already 14 years ago in the extreme north of the Virunga National Park. Subsequently, the guards withdrew from that sector to concentrate on the area south of Beni. In this way, the lower part of the great Semliki Forest was left without protection. The greatest negative impact on the park's biodiversity, however, has been observed since 1994, when Rwandan refugees arrived en masse on Congolese territory (former Zaire), and were installed on the boundary of the Virunga National Park. Several hectares of forest were cut in the park. Village forest plantations (woodlots) were cut before the trees reached maturity and the wood was sold in the refugee camps. Consequently, the entire region of North Kivu has been virtually deforested. UNHCR, WFP (World Food Programme) in collaboration with GTZ (Gesellschaft für technische Zusammenarbeit - German developmental aid organisation) and CARE have supported local NGOs in their reforestation activities, but the implementation has not yet reached a level where the population's demand for firewood or building material can be satisfied. People continue to help themselves from the forests of the park.
The attention of the international community has to be drawn to the unprecedented negative impact political events in the region have had on the fauna. In 1990, hippos numbered about 10,000; in March 1995, fewer than 4,000 were left. Between November 1996 and March 1997, the park guards abandoned the central part of the park because of the war. Subsequently, it was occupied by the Mai-Mai who wreaked carnage among the hippos, distributing the meat to sympathisers or selling it in the villages. Park authorities have estimated that close to three quarters of the hippos remaining in 1997 have been killed since the Mai Mai departed. Only the guards' return will protect the hippos. Their presence would be a deterrent to poachers. Guards are always looking for possibilities to associate with soldiers to initiate more effective mixed patrols.
In August 1998, a second crisis rocked the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, effectively cutting this part off from Kinshasa. Sporadic but repeated attacks by the Mai Mai started up again in the central part of the park. Several times, the guards were chased back to their posts and the remaining assets of the park are constantly plundered.
One of the two main factors currently putting the park at risk is the insufficiency of wood supplies from tree plantations. The second one is the presence of people in the park itself, such as the Mai Mai, dissidents from the Rwandan Interahamwe who have re-grouped in the forest of the park, civilians engaged in poaching and troops, who, having been installed in the park without food, have resorted to poaching with fire arms. Markets selling meat originating from the park have re-opened their doors in all big villages around the park. In the area between Rwindi and Beni, the magazine Coulisse published an article in July 1999 with the title "Long live the poaching in the Virunga National Park: hippos for US$ 10 a head, antelopes for US$ 3!" Further on in the article, the magazine informs the reader: "Kanyabayonga has become a meat city to such a point that the inhabitants suffer from toothaches because they've eaten too much meat. This situation is the work of the soldiers who indulge in poaching in the Virunga National Park." This is only one example of many.

What Can Be Done?

It has to be noted that the war in Congo is the factor that forces all these groups of people to resort to poaching. For the rebels, the main goal of the war was to conquer Kinshasa. Other concerns had to wait until the capital was taken. As soon as the Lusaka treaty for a cease-fire by all parties was signed, everything was supposed to change. The whole population thought that the cease-fire would allow a glance at the internal situation of the controlled territories and give an opportunity to cleanse the park of Mai Mai and Interahamwe, the main perpetrators in poaching and the greatest threats to security in the area. Park staff thought that once security had been re-established, tourism would start up again and the park would have the necessary resources to function properly. This has not been the case to date. Insecurity still persists in certain areas of the park.
The park has no funds and poaching becomes worse every day. The park needs the means to function properly and especially needs support to allow the guards to stay in their posts in order to ensure at least some surveillance. Dissemination of information in an awareness campaign is an important tool to convince the political authorities to support the park, especially as some of them tend to use the park for political campaigns and publicity.
The park has lost almost all its infrastructure and does not have any possibility to generate its own revenue. Sightseeing in the central part of the park has been closed since 1996. Gorilla tourism, which generated a considerable income for the park, has also been closed since August 1998. The park staff's salaries haven't been paid for a very long time: some haven't received their salary for 5 years. The guards' wives and older children become traders or work in the fields to support their families. Some poaching by park staff can also be observed. The staff still hopes that one day everything will be alright and their salaries will be paid.
At the moment, park authorities base their remaining hope on existing environmental assets for tourism such as the presence of habituated gorilla families and large mammals of the plains, such as elephants, buffalo herds, antelopes, etc. However, sufficient funds are needed to ensure the protection of these assets, as they are under great pressure.
The Virunga National Park is a World Heritage Site in Danger. Since 1994, experience has shown that support for operations and to increase motivation of park staff can help to protect and conserve park resources. International NGOs such as IGCP (International Gorilla Conservation Programme), DFGF (Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund) and Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe have demonstrated means of saving and maintaining the gorillas in the Virunga National Park South and on Mt. Tshiaberimu. Their operations were based on the support of staff in their posts (including bonuses for good performance), help with running costs in the guard stations, help with medical care and other things such as food for the patrols, provision of equipment etc.
Therefore we encourage international conservation organisations to join together with those organisations, who have never abandoned the conservation of the Virunga National Park. If the examples set are followed, they will not be disappointed in the results. We urge UNESCO and IUCN to start up their support project for the park and the Peace Parks concept.

Claude Sikubwabo Kiyengo

Claude Sikubwabo Kiyengo conducted a gorilla survey in the Maiko National Park from 1989 to 1992, and in 1994 he took part in the gorilla census in Kahuzi-Biega. After that he worked for the ICCN in Goma and from 2000 to 2004 for the IUCN program PPP. After having worked for IUCN to develop programs that will be implemented during the next years, he joined ICCN again in 2006.

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