Nov 21 2007
How are the Rangers doing?
This is Samantha.
I have just met with Innocent and Diddy and fighting has broken out again between the rebels and the army at Rutshuru, north of Rumangabo. Innocent’s mother is literally hiding under the bed, and has been for several hours. She is eating raw bananas because that is all there is. And Diddy is unable to get hold of Justine, his wife.
This information is quite literally hot off the press. It should calm down, fingers crossed, by the end of the day. I will let you know when I hear any news.
On a similar note, on Saturday I went to Rumangabo with Innocent, Diddy and other Rangers. Diddy was actually in Kiwanja, north of Rumangabo, so came down on the motorbike (that takes about an hour) while Innocent went up from Goma at the same time as me. Goma to Rumangabo takes about 1h30. Diddy has been in Goma now since Saturday pm, which is why Justine is up at Kiwanja, next to Rutshuru where the fighting is going on.
As you know Rumangabo is the headquarters for the southern sector of Virunga. For a map of this go here.
So the 70 Rangers from the Gorilla Sector are camped out there for the most part, unless they have somewhere else to go. Some of them are with their families, which can mean a lot of children.
I saw Jean Marie Serundori, who is the number 2 of the Bukima patrol post after Augustin Kambale. You will remember Jean Marie from previous posts.
His wife had just given birth to their eighth child - who has yet to be named. She was born 4 days before I got there, so last Wednesday.
Jean Marie and his wife and the newest addition to the family.
She will be named soon!
Jean-Marie was in good spirits despite being away from his patrol post - undoubtedly the birth of his daughter had something to do with this.
This is where Jean Marie is living - it is temporary accommodation for the displaced Rangers. It is extremely challenging at this time for everyone. Amid the insecurity and the uncertainty of how long the conflict will go on, it is very difficult to plan and accommodate. Today’s events show this very clearly.
I actually went up with Daniel Pepper, a freelance US journalist for a bunch of publications who had come to cover the Mountain Gorilla crisis that has been evolving since September 3rd. As you know that is part of my job - to get this issue in the international media. Daniel will be writing the story for US News and a couple of other publications. I will let you all know when it comes out.
Innocent and Diddy, with Daniel at the gorilla cemetery, explaining about the July massacre.
I also met Innocent’s father, Silvestre, who is a Ranger too as you know and head of the Bikenge patrol post. That was the first time for me so it was fun to see them both together.
Innocent and others had also been on patrol the day before and detained some people who were making charcoal in the park. Innocent has lots of photos on that and wants to post over the next few days. About 30 people in total were detained.
The atmosphere at Rumangabo is one of frustration. The Rangers are trying to do what they can - as shown by the one-day patrol on Friday to stop charcoal burning. But there is really not a lot they can do other than wait it out. It is beyond the Rangers and beyond conservation organizations. We are all reliant on the political will of the government and the armed forces, which today does not seem to be working too well.
I can honestly say that the Rangers appreciate all the support they can get - moral and financial. They want to speak to journalists when I take them up to Rumangabo, because they want to have a voice in all of this mess. And the Rangers, like us and other organizations, are poised to start working as soon as we can get a foot back in the Gorilla Sector.
Let us hope this recent spate of fighting stops soon, and that progress can be made toward finding a solution.
Samantha
Technorati : congo, drc, iccn, wildlifedirect
Daily news from the conservation frontline by Innocent and Diddy, and other Congolese rangers risking their lives to save mountain gorillas of the Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Thanks for the update on everyone and the situation, Samantha. Tomorrow is our national Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S. and I am deeply thankful for the rangers and their unwaivering dedication to Congo’s wildlife. I hope everyone will be safe.
s.
I can’t do much except hope for the best….. Lets hope this mess ends soon….
Thank you for the report. I hope that the situation there take a good way and that all the rangers, their families and the gorillas are safe, the same for all the other wildlife of the area.
Thank you for all you do to save a beautiful creature from extinction. May you be safe and well.
Oh god no..not again. Lord I hope Innocents and diddy’s family find theirselves okay and all the rangers for that matter and their children. Oh the children they must be so scared.
Samantha…Question please…We have seen the Gorillas and we have seen the rangers but what we havent seen is you all behind the scenes that talk to us and support all of us that support you and your cause…Do you have pics of you guys so we can put faces to names?? I know it may sound silly…but.
Well I would say Happy Turkey day to all but under the circumstances I dont think it will be so happy knowing they are fighting again..
PLEASE all stay safe….
Stephanie, if you search through the archives at the Manioc Valley blog, you’ll find lots of pictures of the WD Congo team.
s.
I can’t begin to think how frustrating this must be & frightening too. All thoughts are with you all. Congrats to Jean Marie & his wife…!
Gone quiet in the media - hope Nkunda hasn’t dug in too deep.
Take greatest care all rangers & WD too, Linda
Yes Stephanie - i think i have stuck my picture in a few times! And Virginia can be seen at this link http://wildlifedirect.org/manioc/2007/06/28/women-against-hunger-and-malnutrition/
Will can be seen here http://wildlifedirect.org/manioc/2007/07/25/vainilla-plantation-back-on-production/
Hope that helps!
I am sorry to hear about the rebels camping out with their families and the potential danger that threatens them. I hope the journalists will continue to spread the latest news. Last night, I found a 1995 issue of National Geographic magazine and read the turbulent history of the mountain gorillas. The issue mentions an estimated 300 mountain gorillas living on the slopes of the Virunga mountains at the time. What has changed since then? The gorillas still face threats from war , habitat destruction, and poaching. Is the making of charcoal a more recent threat? What are the estimated number of gorillas in Virungas since 1995?
Sheryl..Thanks. Never thought about that…..
Samantha, please let us know when you can confirm that Justine, Innocent’s family and all of the others are safe.
Perhaps naive of me, but I never imagined the gorillas and rangers would be stuck in the middle of this mess for as long as they have. The whole thing is mind boggling, especially the lack of international will and involvement. I am not a religious person but I pray for the people of this region, our gorillas and bonobos, and all of the other endangered wildlife every day.
Let’s pray for the best. Sheryl, if you are reading this, I am in Wash DC, too! Small world
I have not been able to be as busy responding with comments as in the past (I was the person who donated the truck to the rangers last spring) so I am pleased to see you so active in posting responses. I have been catching up on all the comments, myself. Please let me know if you are ever interested in trying to raise awareness in the DC area somehow. Thanks!
Wow! Truly amazing what the rangers must go through with their families! I will say a Thanksgiving prayer for peace SOON!!!! Thank you and take care!
All I have to say is that seeing and hearing what you and our precious Gorillas have to endure makes all my life’s problems seem trivial. I will pray for the safety of all and for an end to the violence. Diddy and Innocent I hope your family’s are ok and please know we are here for you. I wish I could do more. Jean-Marie congrats to you and your family on your blessing. I am thinking of you all as always. Samantha thank you for keeping us up to date on things and please let us know how everyone is making out as soon as you hear something.
Love and peace,
Debbie
Oh my goodness! I surely hope that Diddy’s mother is okay. If she is hiding under the bed, the fighting must be very close to her. It is all so frustrating that nothing is being done about this mess. I hope that Justine and the kids are okay too. Please let us know when you find out regarding everyone’s wellbeing. Meanwhile, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that everyone is okay and that this horrendous fighting ends very, very soon. LIKE NOW!!!! Lisa
Hi guys. It is Thursday morning in DR Congo and I have just spoken to Diddy. The fighting has stopped and he has managed to speak to Justine, his wife. She and his children are all fine. Innocent’s mother is also fine, and is no longer hiding under furniture. The fighters have retreated back to their initial positions - ie the army and the rebels. For now all is calm. I will keep following events today and keep you all posted. Thanks.
From me and Innocent: Thank you Pamela T for the $100 donation made last week in honor of Lynne G and Paul B. We would like to know who these people are. Thank you.
This was emailed to me by Human Rights Watch. It is a letter written by the women of North Kivu province. Very poignant.
Women Activists for Peace in North Kivu (Rutshuru)
To:
- Your Excellencies, the Ministers;
- Honorable Senators in Kinshasa;
- Your Excellency the Governor of North Kivu province;
- Honorable National and Provincial deputies;
- Dear compatriots,
In the name of all women in the province of North Kivu, and specifically those of the territory of Rutshuru, we take this opportunity to express with distress the catastrophic situation our communities face as a result of war rooted in the misunderstanding of humanity.
It is women who are the victim of all kinds of evils perpetrated by you, the men, as if you were not born of a woman. Since the war began in North-Kivu how many women, mothers of this nation, have been raped, tortured, and mistreated?
We know you do not have the numbers because the victims are “women” and, like you have always said publicly, this does not interest you in the least bit!
- Excellency Mr. the Minister;
- Governor;
- Honorable deputies;
- Honorable senators;
No one can ignore the role of women in society. Not only is she the incontrovertible mistress, the woman has many abilities without which man would never reach solutions to the problems of humanity.
We ask you to endure that our speech only criticizes men so that you will understand the strong feelings that characterize the women of Rutshuru in particular and those of North-Kivu in general.
In the name all women victims of useless wars, we ask our sons and daughters to bury the hatchet. All of you who fight today, we carried you in our wombs for 9 months, we protected you against the storms of this world. In return, you point your guns at us in thanks. Oh! Woman! What have we done for these men! Eighty-three displaced women have been raped in the past three weeks alone in Rutshuru, not to mention all those who choose to remain silent.
It is high time peaceful solutions are found so that the women can go back to their fields, their homes and their villages in North-Kivu.
The women from Rutshuru want to be considered as equal to other Congolese women, instead of spending her time fleeing from one village to another, her worldly goods on her head, living with the guilt that she has wrongly elected her representatives at all levels.
May those born of a mother understand this message:
May the woman of North-Kivu live;
May the woman of Rutshuru live;
May the men born of women live.
We thank you.
Powerful words.. It seems that the world is going crazy and spineless politicians are to blame for the chaos. Even in my home country, which is considered highly democratic and stable,wildlife and ancient forests are disappearing and people who are less fortunate suffer from budget cutbacks. Economic growth is all that matters to most politicians.
Im a student. Im working on my assignment about the endangered species.And i have selected the mountain gorilla. However,i cannt find the graph,diagram or table of their population.The due date is coming,if someone know that,please tell me. I would appreciate it if you could help me in this matter.
Hello Wayne Wu. If you go into the press section of this website there are press releases that contain the population of Mountain Gorillas. 700 in the world. 380 in the Virungas, which is shared between DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. And 320 in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda. Hope that helps.
Really thank you,but i still need to know the census of the year.I mean i need more data to show why they are endangered.And i wanna know the popoulation before the civil war was happened in Rwandan of the 1990s,or more detail that you know.
Wow what a strong message sent from the women activists and so true! They deserve to be treated respectfully!
Wayne Wu - the last census for the entire Gorilla Sector of the Virungas (ie NOT Uganda’s Impenetrable Forest) was in 2003. That is where I am getting those figures. In Bwindi there was a census in 2001. Before that there was a war going on in DR Congo and I am afraid I don’t have that information. Sorry.
Wayne Wu, I wonder if this time line would be helpful to you. Just a thought. http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/2007-12/gorilla-massacre/mountain-gorilla-timeline.html
me and my friends are going to help save the mountain gorrlas and we promiss we wont let you down samatha thay are a part of the aviorment to they are specail to us me,justice,and macala .amagen what life will be like with out them we love them vary much please dont let them go to instchion samatha all the money we make is coming to wildlifedirect we are trying to make $100 dolers to save the mightey mountain gorrals .we hate to see them never come back to this world .amagen how much the kids well thank us for saving them samatha kids will be happy i will like to see 1 .if you save them you will be and i my savyer and i will never forget u
we love u
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