News from Kahuzi-Biega: May-October 2005
It has been confirmed that in the Nindja and Walungu communities, occupied
by Rwandan militia, there have been repeated human rights violations -
killings, rapes, lootings and kidnappings. These militia are the perpetrators
of the Rwandan genocide, and they have been in the Congo since 1994. The
Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), supported
by the United Nations Mission to the Congo (MONUC), have organised operations
against them; forced to flee, the militias have taken revenge by attacking
any civilians whom they encounter.
In their attacks, 13 persons have been savagely massacred, 4 have been
injured, and 5 were abducted and taken into the forest of the park in
the night of May 23 to 24. On July 4, the guards of the Mugaba patrol
post were attacked by a group led by the lieutenant colonel "Kdt.
106", a FARDC dissident. The majority of guards were kidnapped and
their work equipment taken (weapons and walkie-talkies); one guard is
still being held as a hostage. With the help of FARDC, the guards posted
at Tshivanga repelled an attack by the same militia group, led by the
same lieutenant colonel, on July 8. On July 9, the Madiri guards were
also attacked by a group of Rwandan militia, but no loss of life or materials
was reported. On July 10, the same Rwandan Hutu set fire to houses in
Kalonge in the Mamba locality, and 45 persons burnt to death, the majority
of the victims being women and children; this massacre has resulted in
the displacement of 14,476 inhabitants of Mamba towards the neighbouring
settlements of Cifunzi and Rambo, close to the park boundary, adding to
the displaced people from Nindja who had already fled from the murderers,
and increasing the number of displaced people in the Kalonge community
to 32,000.
To try to reduce the pressure exerted by these displaced people on the
park resources, the GTZ-KBNP project asked the World Food Programme to
assist, with the result that 350 tons of food were distributed by the
project to the victims of persecution. Project participants were mobilized
to help with the distribution, which took place from June to September;
the distribution helped to restore trust between the park authorities
and the Nindja population, who were formerly hostile towards the park.
Between August 20 and 22, three attacks took place in the interior of
the park, approximately 4 km from Tshivanga guard post; a lot of material
was looted and taken to Bunyakiri on lorries, and several people were
taken hostage by the Rwandan militia. From September 1 to 5, the authorities
of the 10th Military Region made 1,000 armed troops available to the park
to assist in patrolling the park's tourism sectors. The operation also
benefited from important assistance by MONUC. In the course of these patrols,
several camps of the Rwandan militia were destroyed.
Photo: Carlos Schuler
Nabintu (left) and Bashige with their infants on
6 September
More Twins!
Nabintu's two babies (Mushoho and Busasa), who were born on April 29,
2005, are doing very well. Bashige, also in the Chimanuka family, also
gave birth to twins (Numbi and Kasiwa) on July 23, 2005. Three days after
the birth, we observed that the newborns were very weak. On September
6, all females were observed and we were able to confirm an inconclusive
sighting made on July 26, that one of the twins (Kasiwa) had disappeared.
The remaining twin, Numbi, is still weak, but we hope that it will survive;
its sex has not yet been determined, as it is always cradled by its mother.
The silverback Mugaruka, son of the late Mushamuka, is a patriarch who
has been very distinctive since infancy, as his left hand is missing.
In September 2002, Mugaruka separated from his females, although no interaction
was observed between Mugaruka and Chimanuka. For some time, Mugaruka formed
a group with his son Chubaka; on May 19, 2004, they were joined by 8 survivors
of the family of Mishebere, who was killed in 2002. Among the survivors
was a young black-backed male called Mankoto; he has now replaced Mugaruka,
who has become solitary for the last 3 months, and it is Mankoto who now
leads this new family.
To summarize: two families habituated to tourists remain in the park:
the Chimanuka group with 28 individuals and the Mankoto group with 11
individuals, in addition to a solitary male who can also be visited, Mugaruka.
Park Office on Fire
Unfortunately, a further misfortune has befallen the GTZ Kahuzi-Biega
National Park Project. On September 26, at around 9 pm, a fire consumed
the house where the project was located. Materials stored in the building
were partly destroyed, including the library of 2,000 books, 7 computers,
the accounts of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park and a sum of money. An
enquiry into how the fire was started has been opened by the authorities.
Part of the building (the ground and the first floors) was partially saved
with the help of fire extinguishers from MONUC and the Pharmakina company.
Despite this situation, patrol activities in the park and development
activities in the surroundings of the park continue with the support of
the German Technical Cooperation GTZ and its partners WWF and WCS.
Photo: Carlos Schuler
Bernard Iyomi Iyatshi and Carlos Schuler
Bernard Iyomi Iyatshi is a specialist in wildlife
management. He has worked for nature conservation in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo for 22 years, for example in the national parks Salonga,
Maiko and Kahuzi-Biega. In August 2002, he became Principal Conservator
of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park.
Carlos Schuler first worked as a typographer, then became a windsurfing
and skiing teacher. In 1983, during one of his intercontinental travels,
he visited Bukavu. Two years later he returned and since 1994 he has been
working for the GTZ there.