Mar 09 2008
Our Position on Engaging with the Rebels
I have been reading the discussion between Francis and Nicholai with considerable interest, as it has dominated our thoughts for some time now. Incase you haven’t read them, they exchange comments on the last post on how appropriate it is to visit the gorillas under the current circumstances.
I don’t want to sound judgemental, everyone has their own reasons for taking a strong position in this conflict and it is indeed a complex situation. The politics of North Kivu are not straight forward, and no side in the conflict comes out entirely clean.
However, at WildlifeDirect, we have made the decision not to engage with CNDP (Laurent Nkunda’s rebel movement) under the current circumstances. In this respect, our position is 100% in line with that of ICCN, as the legitimate Government institution.
Let’s start with some simple facts:
- According to the International Rescue Committee, an average of 45,000 people are dying every month in CNDP held territory since the rebellion was started by Laurent Nkunda. His rebellion has all but derailed a peace process that was Congo’s best chance of ending an 8-year civil war that provoked over 4 million deaths.
- Many of the schools and other essential infrastructure around the Gorilla Sector have been destroyed. The International Criminal Court currently has a file that lists the evidence that Nkunda forces have been forcefully recruiting large numbers of child soldiers, some as young as 9.
- Over half a million rural people, the poorest on earth, have be forced out of the homes by the CNDP rebellion, and into displaced peoples’ camps around Goma. They are living in atrocious conditions.
- Senior CNDP officers have declared that they will execute any of the Virunga rangers who enter the territory that they hold.
We are desperate to get back to the Gorilla sector, and indeed, have been invited to do so by the parallel rebel administration (in exchange for funds). However, we cannot under any circumstances play a part in the atrocities of North Kivu by helping to fund the rebels.
Unfortunately, tourism revenues at Jomba are used to fund the rebel troops. While we can’t stop anyone from paying $300 to the visit the gorillas, I would urge you to think very carefully about the consequences of funding the rebel administration before doing so.
Emmanuel at 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