BootsnAll Travel Community

quote:

Originally posted by Stephen Mattison:
What the world needs is a group of non-profit mercenaries to just travel around the world and wipe out scum like this. That would be the most efficient thing to do.

They were called Sandline and Executive Outcomes. Didn't work out so well.

Update Sept 04 2007: Rebels Take Over Park

Bad news.

That is terrible. I'm kind of on a crunch (?) for internet time but there is a lot of information on the wildlife direct blogs too, including a post that some readers are asking others to digg.

I hope something "good" (in a relative way I guess) will happen soon. People on the blogs are asking where are the UN and other organizations that work there ... I just hope they do no more of this "safe area" business where they - the UN - tell people an area is protected and then stand around and do nothing to protect them. Yikes.

I meant to post this about a week ago: first hand blog post from the rangers on the charcoal trade.

People come into the country to do it and are able to by paying off Congo government soldiers...who are not paid by the government...

Obviously this is less of an immediate priority with actually fighting going on now, but it makes sense to me that it will remain a factor still even when that fighting is over, so it's still relevant.

Heavy fighting in the Mikeno sector:

quote:

Since this morning there has been heavy fighting in the Gorilla Sector, with many bombs between Bukima and Bikenge. Until now we have not heard fighting as heavy as this.

Interestingly, Richard Leakey sent in an armed unit to protect the gorillas' territories back in June, but the Congolese government asked them to leave. Hopefully, the DRC will now retract their original position.

There are now some rumors going around that army soldiers are behind the ransom of two gorillas in the park (and the subsequent murder of one.) The army is currently occupying the rangers' grounds. :/

The situation at the park will soon be covered in an episode of "60 Minutes". Perhaps this bit of infotainment will lead to some minor assistance. At the very least, it might attract a larger source of financial aid for the rangers.

I've brought this thread back from the dead in order to point travelers to a growing problem in Virunga Park:

Tourists visiting the gorillas illegally, often on tours led by the very rebels who've killed (and eaten) said gorillas in the past.

Please keep this in mind when making any plans in the region.