You are here

Home » Murders Of Six At Virunga National Park Condemned By UNESCO

Murders Of Six At Virunga National Park Condemned By UNESCO

Share
By NPT Staff - April 11th, 2018

The murders of six in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including five rangers, this week has been condemned by the director-general of UNESCO.

The rangers and their driver were cut down by MaiMai militia in the park's Central District.

"Virunga has lost some extraordinarily brave rangers who were deeply committed to working in service of their communities," said Virunga Chief Warden Emmanuel de Merode. "It is unacceptable that Virunga’s rangers continue to pay the highest price in defense of our common heritage and we are devastated that their lives have been cut short in this way."

At UNESCO, Director-General Audrey Azoula on Tuesday strongly denounced the attack and called on "the Democratic Republic of the Congo to take all the necessary legal measures to put an end to these repetitive attacks."

The murders on Monday were the third attack this year against the staff of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation in Virunga, and follows similar acts on other World Heritage sites in Central Africa, in Dja and Sangha Tri-National, according to a UNESCO release. Since 1996, attacks in the Virunga National Park have claimed over 175 victims, it added.

The high toll has led the park to establish a Fallen Rangers Fund "to provide a financial safety net for widows and children of Virunga rangers killed in the line of duty." You can donate on this page. 

The director-general called on the international community to help the Institute ensure the safety of local people and staff. With the support of the European Union, UNESCO has been investing for several years in strengthening human capacity and resources of World Heritage Sites in the countries of central Africa that are facing security challenges.

Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.