Report of a Visit to Kahuzi-Biega during the First Week of May 2001

I went to Bukavu and Tshivanga but I was unable to reach the interior of the park. The security situation has, in fact, deteriorated badly since the end of April 2001:

• On 26 April, a patrol in which Carlos Schuler participated was almost intercepted by a group of Interahamwe who were a 15 minutes walk from the guard post. The patrol was able to save itself by fleeing quickly, but one tracker was captured.
• That tracker was able to escape unharmed after 3 days of captivity. From his statement it is clear that the Interahamwe group is powerfully equipped with light weapons and very well equipped with communication equipment.
• On 27 April 27, the same Interahamwe band stopped a civilian vehicle 7 km from Tshivanga. They forced the passengers to get out of the vehicle and robbed them. They then killed 5 people in total.
• During the night of 3 May, Interahamwe stole 6 cows and a few goats from a farmer on the park border 5 km from the guard post. The farmer tried to resist and was killed.
• The apparent freedom of movement of these "rebels" seems unaffected by the major troop movements I could observe at Tshivanga.

Because it is currently impossible to guarantee visitors' safety in the park, the Director, Kasereka Bishikwabo, has been forced to refuse entry to the park to any visitors not belonging to the ICCN (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature). In spite of the bad security situation, ICCN continues to patrol the park. One can only praise the courage and the commitment of trackers, guards, guides and the Director. Thanks to their efforts not a single gorilla has been killed in the high-altitude sector in the last month.
One cannot but wonder at the efficiency of the big organizations and contrast them with the activities of the small ICCN team in Bukavu. Supported by the GTZ (German Technical Cooperation) and small NGOs, this team safeguards the survival of the park against all odds. They have finished the construction of 15 guard posts and a health centre at Tshivanga. Every day, they work to protect the 130 surviving gorillas.
Although far removed from mega-projects and beautiful theories, and faced by the current war situation in the Kivu region, the high-altitude sector of the park continues to survive - thanks to the work of a few determined people. This is very reassuring to see. Once security has returned to an acceptable level and a system for controlling the supply of minerals put into place, the invaders of the lower sector of the park will have to be relocated and offered a reasonable alternative to mining. WFP (World Food Programme) has proposed to assist people who agree to leave the park with food aid.
In addition, a long-term strategy for the participation of the population in the management of the park needs to be developed and established; eco-tourism has to be developed; all sorts of research needs to be conducted. In the meantime, the park is fighting to retain its natural heritage, without help from the big organizations. What is most important now is for the park to conserve its capacity to react and to protect what it can with the means it has available.

Jean-François Segers

Jean-François Segers is an economist who manages several companies in Kivu and travels to Bukavu every month. He is the president of Nouvelles Approches, a Belgian NGO that supports the protection of the environment and has several projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Kahuzi-Biega overview

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