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Protecting the Mountain Gorillas of Virunga
Little Reminders that the Forest was a Frontline
It is calm at the moment, so it is easy to forget that only a few months ago Bukima was the scene of intense fighting between the CNDP and the Congolese Army troops. I remember being woken up one morning in Rumangabo to the sound of shelling- I walked to a hill and looked out towards the Mikeno and saw that it was coming from tanks parked on the main road near Rugari. They were lobbing mortars onto these very hills around Bukima. (watch video)
But sometimes I see little reminders in the forest:
Helmet left behind at the old camp in Bukima
CNDP Jacket in the park
Military bivouac in the park near Bukima
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News from Congo- Suspected rebels rape over 240 women in DR Congo: NGO - AFP
- Congo Mass Rape Numbers Rise To 240: UN Report - Huffington Post (blog)
- Will United Nations Cover-Up Rwanda’s Congo Genocide? - Black Star News
- Soco Falls After Nganga Well Finds Water-Bearing Sands in Congo - Bloomberg
- Congo Gives Rights to Two First Quantum Mines to Hong Kong-Based Company - Bloomberg
- MagIndustries Update on Potash Investment Agreement with Republic of Congo - MarketWatch (press release)
- UN Delays Release of Report on Possible Congo Genocide - New York Times
- UK complicit in bankrolling Congo conflict - The Guardian
- River Of Life - Congo Odyssey - NPR
- Congo rapes worse than reported - Salon
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This website was funded by the European Union and the Prince Bernard Nature Fund.
This website was funded by the European Union and the Prince Bernard Nature Fund.
5 Responses to “Little Reminders that the Forest was a Frontline”
Pierre, what’s the situation with land mines? I remember reading a while back that some roads were land mined but what about in the actual park?
s.
Hey Sheryl- you are right: everyone last year was saying that the road up to Bukima was mined. However, when Innocent drove it for the first time in more than a year, it was fine. I think the mines thing was a red herring. In the park, the only mine story I know is of an ICCN car that hit one on the path to Ishango. That was a long time ago though, and I think that mines haven’t been used here in a while. But I may be wrong…
Interesting … I hope you’re right and that they’ve gone out of fashion.
s.
Seriously, let’s hope nobody comes across those horrid things. These pictures are kind of eerie. Especially the one of the jacket, just laying across the foliage. I hope the peace and calm is here to stay. Thanks Pierre.
[...] For example, there is a trail called Chabahata which was used by the CNDP rebels during the war. As I described in a post back in February, the rebels left behind a lot of trash, especially around a camp they had set up as a field [...]