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14 Responses to “Rescue efforts hampered by intense fighting throughout the Province”

1. saraw Says: 30 Oct 2008

   Really like the Appeal for crisis section. Nice one team.

2. Talking Nerdy » Blog Archive » Virunga NP Crisis Update Says: 30 Oct 2008

   [...] Rescue efforts hampered by intense fighting throughout the Province [...]

3. Rebels take Virungas headquarters » Nature and Animal Conservation » ZooChat Says: 30 Oct 2008

   [...]   #8 1 Minute Ago And apparently it is as dangerous for the rangers as for the wildlife Rescue efforts hampered by intense fighting throughout the Province | gorillacd.org [...]

4. jean-claude S (France) Says: 30 Oct 2008

   I have sent the last news of France Information from RDC to Samantha and Virginia.

5. sheryl, washington, dc Says: 30 Oct 2008

   There’s coverage now in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/31/world/africa/31congo.html

   s.

6. sheryl, washington, dc Says: 30 Oct 2008

   Today I sent the following letter, which is mostly the one from my Web site under the Wildlife Direct tab, to the following people: Senator Jim Webb, Senator Warner, Rep. Frank Wolf, Sen. Obama, Sen. Clinton, former Gov. Mark Warner (who will win the other Warner’s senate seat in Virginia). This letter was written by Robin Andreae.

   “You are certainly aware of the recent conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Right now there is a tentative ceasefire between the rebel general Nkunda and the Congolese army. Thousands of people are displaced from their homes, the ICCN ranger station at Rumangabo was attacked and the rangers’ lives are at risk, and the remaining critically endangered mountain gorillas are again caught in a human-caused crossfire.

   The Democratic Republic of Congo endures what the United Nations calls the deadliest conflict since World War II. We need to help stem the flow of blood and violence. I request that we strongly urge President Kagame and the Rwandan government to act immediately to stop any and all support of the rebel leader and war criminal Laurent Nkunda, to cut off the recruitment from its territory of individuals, including children, as fighters for Laurent Nkunda’s forces, and to comply with the UN arms embargo by ensuring that no military equipment crosses its frontier into the DRC. His whereabouts have been well known, yet nothing has been done to capture him.

   Nkunda now occupies a larger part of Virunga National Park and park rangers can no longer safely patrol the park for snares, poachers, and illegal charcoal makers. Funds have been raised for his war from the illegal charcoal trade that destroys vast acres of the park’s lush forests and prime wildlife habitat. If we do not act soon, the population of rare mountain gorillas may soon vanish, charcoal looters and poachers will irreparably destroy a world treasure, Virunga National Park, and the Congolese people will bear the scars of war and famine for generations to come.

   Thousands of Congolese citizens have fled from the fighting. Many of the refugees suffer from exposure, malnutrition and diseases like malaria are common. Please urge President Kagame to end any relations between his government and the rebel Laurent Nkunda. We must act now. “

7. mike crowe Says: 31 Oct 2008

   I have what may well be a stupid suggestion. allegiance to faction has recently been a fluid affair in drc. If you cant beat them join them. Nkunda has been making recent efforts to be inclusive, many local government officials and some elected members of parliament have recently joined him. If you find him unpalatable consider that the [recent, perhaps present drc government military commander in the kivus was once Nkundas compatriot n the rcd and is also said to have been present just before the tshobe bridge incident in kisangani when the mutiny was put down.} Nkunda is an intelligent dude both he and kagame are very savvy as far as public relations and gorillas are popular worldwide. Pehaps Nkunda would reinstate your team at Virunga, Consider your broadest options to keep your team together .

8. mike crowe Says: 31 Oct 2008

   Sherryl please try to keep an even keel. Spend a little of your time to read the opinions of those you rail against . Kigali newspapers would be a good start for you . We need to save the rangers and the gorillas not defeat Nkunda Of the armys invoved his is by far the most disciplined and likely to obey orders not to molest the park. All other sources I have come upon than yours implicated governmentmilitary and fdlr in the charcoal trade as well. {You should learn who fldr is}although I certainly cant say about Nkunda from this distance. I really dont think that begging for a whole4 bunch more military to be poured into the area is a good idea.

9. mike crowe Says: 31 Oct 2008

   I understand Nkunda is a pentacostal preacher. I wonder whose opinions he respects in the outside world. Pentacostal church associations in the U.S. perhaps? Time to stop demonisng him and to start trying to engage his help on the problem.

10. WhiteAlaska Says: 1 Nov 2008

    Its becoming quite clear that Nkunda is not a blood thirsty criminal. His men are disciplined and are not doing the looting. What is worrying are the reports of foreign mercenaries, from Lebanon and Indonesia I hear (not confirmed) grouping in the area. Nkunda has opened a humanitarian corridor to the UN. He means well. So where are they? Of course there are rogues all over the area, most of them as scared and as hungry as the ordinary people. They will exchange their guns for food and safety and the chance to go home. Please, lets try to bring peace. And someone please check out just who is acting on behalf of the Americans….

11. mike crowe Says: 5 Nov 2008

    I did a little research on Nkundas war crimes. In 2002 there was a revolt within the ranks of the rcd (now a component of the congo government} Generals Nkunda and Amisi were flown in from goma with troops to put it down.{Amisi is I think, one of the generals opposing Nkunda in the present government forces.} The revolt was put down with great brutality and the mutineers shot and turfed off a bridge. mitigating factors? There are two. Most govrnments do not consider executing deserters a war crime let alone executing mutineers. The other mitigating factor is that the mutineers had taken over a radio station and were calling for the purge and murder of all the tutsis within Kabilas forces . It is thought that Kabila he present of Congo had put them up to this. After the genocide of 94 I would expect tutsis to be rather leery of this sort of activity. The second war crime on Nkundas official record results from the occupation of Bukavu by generals mutebusi ad Nkunda in2004 where there was widespread looting a murder and rape. The only possible defense for Nkunda is the one he gives himself. He says that General Mutebusis troops arrived first and were largely responsible He may be telling the truth. General Jules Mutebusi is a thug and on a different occasion used great brutality towards the fellow tutsi troops of General Patrick Muzunzu[muzungu ] as well as knocking off perhaps 5000 civilians in the area .{these also were largely tutsi] anyone know what generals Patrick Muzungu as well as Amisi and Jules Mutebusi are up to these days. Are Patrick Muzunzus banyamulenge now a part of Nkundas forces?

12. mike crowe Says: 7 Nov 2008

    a disappointing news clip to choose nov.5 Laurent Nkunda happy killer from the congo. do I ever see kigali new times news clips come up.?The recent news items which located and named the brigades of the genocidaires and where they are localated in co location with the fardc would be interesting for pople to look at.

13. mike crowe Says: 7 Nov 2008

    as far as outsiders coming to fight the indian gov which contributes most of the troops has decided to give them a sharper edge by replacing 850 of them with gurkha rangers.

14. mike crowe Says: 11 Nov 2008

    the un reports widespread looting and rape by gov army in Kaina and krumba in the absence of any attack by Nkunda.
    which ethnic groups are being targeted? Or is one? the govenment troops may just be intent on having their pockets full when i is time to run We need to try to publicise details on which particular brigades and comanders are involved in crimes.This goes for Nkundas forces as well I If he was not personally present at kiwanja then who was? who commanded the pareco? mai mai? fldr? fnl? at Kawanja. We need names