Kinshasa, March 19, 2024: The Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN), in a press release made public this Tuesday, March 19, 2024, said it was concerned regarding the humanitarian situation of the populations bordering the PNVi which continues to deteriorate. degrade from day to day. This follows the persistence of armed conflicts in the East of the DRC, especially in the Virunga National Park, the consequences of which in terms of the protection of the biodiversity of the PNVi and the socio-economic development of local populations are incalculable.
This institution also reminds in this document to the national and international community, as well as to the local population, that the guards of the ICCN are agents of the State responsible for the application of the Law on the conservation of nature. nature. They do not have military status and their actions do not fall under the law of armed conflict in accordance with article 42 of Law No. 14/003 OF February 11, 2014 relating to nature conservation.
“Their mandate is to ensure the protection of Congolese natural heritage which, in the case of Virunga National Park, is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They also denounce the statement made in the audio message and the misuse of old images of teams of well-identified eco-guards carrying out their duties, including those of Virunga National Park during the 2009 edition of the mountain gorilla census in the Mikeno sector and those of the Garamba National Park during the practical exercises of the refresher training in July 2023, which certain malicious people are in the process of assimilating to the RDF/M23 terrorist rebels in order to tarnish the image of the “CCN”, we read in this document.
Let us say that clashes between M23 terrorists and the Congolese armed forces are still continuing in several entities of the Virunga National Park. These clashes lead to the degradation of biodiversity.
Roger KAKULIRAHI
2024-03-19 14:35:42
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