Congo Rangers

Category: Active Service, Crises | Date: Oct 15 2006 | By: admin

The ICCN deployed 30 park rangers to help the military secure a small fishing village in the Virunga National Park following last Saturday’s clashes with the Mai Mai. Two rangers were sent ahead to inform the local commander that re-enforcements were on their way, but instead of welcoming the news, the military commander had them disarmed and arrested. Prisoners in their own park.

The ICCN was unable to negotiate their release, and when dialogue broke down, the ICCN sent in their Advance Force to go in and get them out…

     

Ranger Bisimwa died a few months after a viscious attack on ranger station thought to involve the local military

As the Advance Force drew near, the military opened fire. Despite the considerable risk to their own lives, the rangers continued moving forward, as they had recently been trained to do, without returning fire. Then, upon surrounding the military, the rangers demanded the immediate release of their colleagues. Out maneuvered and out numbered, the military had little choice but to hand over the rangers.  The rescue was completed successfully, amazingly without injury.

The rescue operation undertaken by the rangers demonstrated to the Congolese military how force should be used – measured and controlled and appropriate to the situation.  It does beg the question however that if the rangers cannot count on the support of their own military to help secure the park from rebels and bandits, who can they count on? Perhaps only themselves.

So what are the military doing in the Virunga National Park? The official reason given for their presence here is to secure the area from banditry and possible invasion from neighbouring countries. But instead of dealing with the problem of rebels, and protecting the international border from possible invasion, the military operate a protection racket for illegal cultivators and poachers. Herein lies the problem and the reason for the conflict between the military and the park rangers.

     

Military attack a lorry near the park Head Quarters leaving four dead

While the military remain unpaid and unfed, they continue to prey off the local population and provide protection to poachers in return for illegal trappings. They see the rangers as a threat to their unlawful activities and this manifests itself in violent attacks against the rangers and occasionally against their wives and their children, often with devastating consequences.

The military, who have been repeatedly accused of carrying out attacks, rapes and other violations against human rights in the Virunga National Park need to be removed, and full responsibility for law enforcement handed over to the park rangers, with support where necessary from MONUC and the military only for specific operations.

While UNESCO World Heritage Committee decides to retain the Virunga National Park on it’s list of World Heritage Sites in Danger, it is vital that immediate action is taken on the ground to improve the local security situation for the park staf, local communities and threatened wildlife.  The UN need to carry out rapid sweeps of the park directly following the elections to remove all the rebel groups and the military should then be encouraged to leave.  The future of this great African park is hanging in the balance…