The Itombwe Nature Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of the last safe havens for the…
In Goma, Gorilla Organization colleagues fear the worst as fear and insecurity grip eastern DR Congo
Once again we fear for our staff as the situation in Goma, North Kivu, DR Congo continues to deteriorate. According to government statistics, around 7,000 people have been killed since armed groups, spearheaded by the infamous M23 rebels, took hold of the city at the end of January. And as many as 600,000 people have been displaced as the insecurity drives a major humanitarian crisis across the whole region.
The M23 soldiers have taken even more ground, pushing deeper into Congo and also capturing the main city of South Kivu, Bukavu. Now it looks like they will continue to take ground in the mineral-rich regions. There are reports and rumours circulating that they have taken the town of Walikale, a strategic point on the main road through the area and also the base of the Gorilla Organization’s project at Walikale Community Reserve where a team of 50 rangers protect a fragile ecosystem and a population of eastern lowland gorillas.
Adapting to ‘a new normal’
In the city of Goma itself, fear, insecurity and uncertainty dominate. This has led to a general atmosphere of lawlessness, with looting rife. Even health centres have been looted, depriving people of vital medicines. However, the Gorilla Organization’s team in the city also report that large numbers of people are actually returning to Goma as they feel it is safer than the surrounding areas. In the short-term, this will only exacerbate the enormous pressure on resources. The team, like most Goma residents, have been without electricity or even clean water for much of the past few weeks, resorting to drinking rainwater.
While the general feeling right now in Goma is one of uncertainty, many are also increasingly resigned to accepting the ‘new normal’ of rebel control. Residents are busy clearing up the damage done by fighting in the city, and there are suggestions that the new authorities will recruit former security and police personnel to help bring order back to Goma.
Despite the enormous challenges, the team in Goma are determined to carry on with their work. The manager of the Gorilla Organization’s Forest People’s Project defied the risks to travel into Goma to provide up-to-date reports on the situation outside of the city. For now, the road between Goma and Rusthuru – a vital lifeline for the rural communities – has reopened. Community-based conservation work continues, as Country Manager Henry Cirhuza maintains risky but vital trips to the projects, struggling through roadblocks and terrible roads on his moped.
For Gorillas, the threat grows
The humanitarian crisis unfolding in Goma is also having a devastating impact on the environment. According to research carried out by MongaBay, rates of habitat loss in both the Kahuza-Biega National Park and the Virunga National Park has accelerated rapidly over recent months as both rebels and displaced residents encroach into the protected homes of Congo’s mountain gorillas. It is estimated that the amount of tree cover being lost is now around 50,000 acres a year, up from around 1,300 acres a year lost between 2019 and 2022.
Worryingly, illegal charcoal production rates have soared. Rebel groups have taken control of several of the towns and communities located on the park boundaries, including Tchivanga, which is home to the Virunga National Park headquarters. This means ranger patrols are unable to go into the forests to shut down illegal charcoal operations and protect gorillas and other wildlife.
Attempts to broker a ceasefire, both by the European Union and Qatar, have so far come to nothing. The situation remains uncertain, both for the Gorilla Organization team in DR Congo, as well as for the gorillas they work tirelessly to protect.
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