Wüstenschiff

Vergange Woche eskalierten die Kämpfe zwischen Armee und Rebellen.
Zur Situation im Virunga NP aktuelle Infos aus dem Tagebuch der Wildhüter bei BBC

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Birgitt

Endlich nochmals gute Nachrichten:

There has been mounting hope and excitement. We are building up to return to Bukima after more than five months of absence as a result of the war ... mehr im Tagebuch der Wildhüter

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Birgitt

Three countries have come together for the first time, to try to save the mountain gorillas of central Africa. Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have launched a project to improve their security ...

Rare cooperation to save gorillas
20.02.2008 - BBC

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Birgitt

Rebels who have seized control of eastern DR Congo's Gorilla Sector have said they will execute any wildlife ranger who attempts to enter the area. Despite the recent signing of a peace deal, a group of rebels have set up a parallel administration in Virunga National Park ...

Gorilla rangers' execution threat
07.03.2008 - BBC

Gorilla Protection Diary

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Birgitt

Ein Wildhüter soll im Kongo an der Tötung mehrerer vom Aussterben bedrohter Berggorillas beteiligt gewesen sein. Der Direktor einer Naturschutzgruppe im Osten des zentralafrikanischen Landes wurde festgenommen, teilte ein Behördensprecher am Mittwoch mit. Im vergangenen Jahr waren im Virunga-Nationalpark an der Grenze zu Uganda und Ruanda zehn Gorillas getötet worden. Teile des Naturschutzgebietes sind von Rebellengruppen besetzt ...

Wildhüter als Gorilla-Wilderer festgenommen
19.03.2008 - Süddeutsche

A senior wildlife park official in Democratic Republic of Congo has been arrested amid claims that he organised the killing of rare mountain gorillas. The Congolese Nature Conservation Institute (ICCN) is reported to have brought the charges against Honore Mashagiro - one of its members ... Ranger held over gorilla killings
19.03.2008 - BBC

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Birgitt

Neues aus dem Gorilla Protection Diary

Hier ein Auszug daraus vom 27.06.2008:

[...] We have received news from our sources that tourists are once again crossing the border into the Congo to visit the gorillas in the Mikeno sector. Laurent Nkunda's rebels are charging tourists to take them to see the Mapuwa and Lulengo groups of habituated gorillas. We are worried that the rebel "rangers" are not following the proper guidelines, such as observing a minimum distance of seven metres in order to prevent disease transmission.

We also hear that last Friday a group of 20 tourists came into the park; the week before it was 22. Again, that is above the maximum limits allowed in legal tourism. We assume that the people choosing to visit the gorillas this way either could not reserve a place on the gorilla visits in Rwanda, or decided they would prefer to pay less.

We are urging tourists to think twice before visiting the Congo gorillas at the moment, as their dollars will be going straight into the pocket of the rebels. Remember, these are the very same rebels who killed and ate two silverbacks last year ... mehr bei BBC

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Birgitt

Und wieder gab es einen Angriff gegen die Ranger mit Toten,
zu lesen im Gorilla Protection Diary

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Birgitt

Nochmals schlechte Nachrichten:

Heavy fighting broke out on Thursday between Laurent Nkunda's rebels and the army around the Gorilla Sector, specifically near the patrol post of Bukima and going down toward Rumangabo park station. The situation had been calm for some months, but all this has just changed. From Rumangabo we could hear the mortars being fired not so far away and reverberating through the hills ...

SOUNDS OF WAR
01.09.2019 - BBC


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Birgitt

Dazu noch ein interessanter Artikel in der August-Ausgabe von National Geographic

Wer ermordete die Virunga-Gorillas?

Ein Dank an Andreas Neuburger für diesen Lese-Tipp.

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Birgitt

Die Truppen des kongolesischen Rebellengenerals Laurent Nkunda haben am Morgen das Hauptquartier des Virunga-Nationalparks im Osten des Kongo erobert ...

nachrichten.ch: Rebellen eroberten kongolesischen Nationalpark

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Alexander

Im Ostkongo nähern sich die Rebellen von Laurent Nkunda der Provinzhauptstadt Goma und ziehen Überläufer an. Die Flüchtlingszahlen steigen dramatisch ...

taz: Rebellen im Kongo - Krieg geht in entscheidende Phase

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Alexander

In Ostkongos wichtigster Stadt Goma haben die Rebellen von General Nkunda die Regierungstruppen dazu gebracht, ihre Waffen niederzulegen. Zehntausende Menschen sind auf der Flucht ...

taz: Rebellen in Goma - Kongos Regierungsarmee kapituliert

Die CNDP besteht aus den erfahrensten Kriegsveteranen des Kongo. Auf die Regierung blickt sie mit Verachtung ...

taz: Krieg im Ostkongo - Wer sind Nkundas Rebellen?

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Alexander

Die schlechten Nachrichten gehen weiter ...

WEDNESDAY 12 NOVEMBER - BENJAMIN RETURNS

A ranger arrived at the refugee camp in Goma this morning with a horrific story to tell. Benjamin Mujinya is a Ranger from the Kalengera Patrol Post, which is on the road between Rumangabo and Rutshuru. When the major hostilities started on November 2nd, Kalengera experienced a two-day battle with sustained gunfire and mortars. Benjamin and other rangers were forced to flee into the forest nearby. By November 4th, the Congolese soldiers had fled and rebels took over the town. Benjamin was worried about his family - he cautiously approached his village and hid in a bush near his house. To his horror he saw a group of rebels approach. As he watched on, the rebels pulled out his father Etienne Mujinya and shot him dead. Benjamin then ran away back into the forest in fear for his life ... mehr dazu im Gorilla Protection Diary

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Birgitt

Weil die Frontlinien des Bürgerkriegs im Kongo sich verschoben haben, ist das Leben der seltenen Gorillas sicherer geworden – und offenbar haben die Unruhen ihnen nicht geschadet ...

Berggorillas im Kongo profitieren von Kämpfen
26.11.2008 - baz.online

Im Kongo sind auch die seltenen Berggorillas vom Krieg bedroht, doch neuerdings geben sich die Rebellen gern als friedliche Wildhüter - nicht nur aus Tierliebe ...

Zwischen Bambus und Bomben
28.11.2008 - SZ

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Birgitt

FRIDAY 05 DECEMBER - REUNITED AT LAST

We have finally been able to go back into the Gorilla Sector, after 15 months absence. Our park director Emmanuel de Merode was able to negotiate with both the Congolese government and the CNDP rebels, who currently control the Gorilla Sector, to give us access once again in order to undertake a survey of the gorilla populations. We are very grateful that both sides in the conflict understand that wildlife conservation must continue even amid the conflict. As park rangers we are now considered neutral ... mehr dazu im Gorilla Protection Diary


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Birgitt