Early Sunday morning of June 24th, the village of Epulu was attacked by the Mai Mai rebels. As of this morning of June 26th, the DRC has regained control of Epulu and its airstrip. At least 10 people and all 14 okapi at the station have been killed. https://www.facebook.com/okapiconservationproject https://www.facebook.com/gorilladoctors
This is indeed tragic news, the loss of life, both the human and okapi is devastating, where to go now?
How tragic. It really makes me wonder about humans as a whole, and how our destructive natures can cause such tragedies. Maybe, one day we can all live by Anne Frank's words, that all people are truly good at heart, but for now, we have to work to this.
This was posted on their Facebook page on June 26, 2012 at 8:00 AM DRC time: Crisis in DR Congo and Okapi Wildlife Reserve- Update June 26, 2012 8:00 AM ET- "FARDC (Congolese army) troops and Monusco (UN) troops are now in control of Epulu. The airstrip is being secured to allow helicopters to land. Once the army can assure the safety of OCP staff and ICCN rangers they will return to Epulu. Once we have credible reports from our staff from the site we will provide a summary of the situation and the damage done to the station. As far as we now know all of our staff escaped into the forest, the condition of the 14 okapi at the station is unknown at this time. We are setting up a fund to help the families of the deceased rangers and assist displaced staff and their families. We will provide an update on the situation as soon as we have first hand information on the extent of the damage done by the rebels." John Lukas President White Oak Conservation Center, Inc. 1615 Riverside Ave Jacksonville FL 32204 904-860-4686 Okapi Conservation Project : Save the Okapi and the Congo Rainforest
It goes without saying that this is indeed ghastly. it also goes without saying, perhaps, but against the scale of human suffering in the eastern Congo over the past several years this is but a small tragedy. How easy was it to get to Epulu? Did you fly in directly, or travel overland? If the latter, was this from the north and west, or from the east - I'm thinking that the latter route would be very unstable, but I may well be wrong. It would be very interesting to know. I visited Epulu in 1989, when things were much more peaceful, and much easier. There was quite a large primate collection there then to. Is that still present?
This was posted on the Okapi Conservation Project website on June 27: "June 26, 2012 5:00 PM ET The Congolese army and UN troops are in control of Epulu and the road is open through the Reserve. People are starting to come out of the forest where they have been hiding the last 48 hours. There have been many conflicting reports coming out of Epulu and we have decided to wait to release more information until it can be verified by a known reliable source. One of the ICCN senior rangers traveled into Epulu with UN forces and is making a thorough report on the situation at the Station which he plans on filing late tonight or early in the morning. Once we receive his report we will provide a detailed summary of his findings. We have been in contact with a senior OCP staff member who is trying to get back to Epulu and once he is there we will have access to information on a regular basis. This is a trying time for all involved and we appreciate your concern and support."
If verified as true it is a huge disaster for local communities and the National Park. Incidentally, Mau Mau ... probably it should be Hutu rebels (that the UN and other forces should have removed years ago as having been responsible for serious human rights abuses in both Rwanda and DR. Congo). They do monopolise / reign supreme in some refugee camps on the border terrorising the local populace and refugees alike.
This was posted on the Okapi Conservation Project website on June 28: Okapi Conservation Project, Epulu Update – June 28, 2012 Posted on June 28, 2012 by Scott Okapi Conservation Project (OCP) Epulu Update June 28, 2012 8 AM ET Following the attack on Sunday morning by mai mai rebels on the Institute in the Congo for Conservation of Nature (ICCN) headquarters and Okapi Conservation Project base of operations in Epulu it was 48 hours later on Tuesday morning when the Congolese Army (FARDC) and Monusco (UN) troops finally took control of the area around the town of Epulu. Security is being extended along the road in order to allow residents to return to their homes in Epulu. The tragic outcome of the attack on the Epulu Station and Okapi Wildlife Reserve Headquarters has now been verified by ICCN and OCP personnel on site in Epulu. The destruction rendered by the rebels is far worse than anyone could have imagined. Casualties and damage from the attack include: - 6 people were killed – 2 ICCN rangers, the wife of one of the rangers, an immigration worker, and 2 residents of Epulu. - 13 okapi were killed and one injured. - All ICCN buildings were damaged or burned. - All OCP buildings and offices damaged or burned. - Motorized equipment stolen, damaged. - All food stores looted and storage containers destroyed. - All computers and printers stolen or burned. - Satellite phones stolen. - All medical supplies taken from Dispensary. - Shops and homes in the town of Epulu were looted and damaged. The destruction of ICCN and OCP facilities is extensive and there seems to be not one thing of value left. There is no food left in town so there nothing to eat for those coming out of the forest. We are feeding the families that escaped to Mambassa until they can go back to Epulu. There is a meeting today of our staff in Mambassa to organize supplies and basic shelter needs to take with them when they return to Epulu. The OCP will be sending funds to DR Congo to finance the purchase of food, supplies and medicines so that ICCN and OCP staff can set up a base of operations in Epulu. There are no words to describe the loss of the okapi at the station, some of which have been in residence for over 23 years and all made it through seven years of civil war unscathed. They were ambassadors for all wildlife in the forest and had been helping educate visitors to the Station of the marvels of the diversity of life in the rainforest for over 25 years. It must be made clear that the mai mai rebels are not fighting for a political cause. This group is made up of elephant poachers and illegal miners. They were seeking revenge on ICCN for their valiant efforts to eliminate poaching of elephants and illegal gold mines from inside the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. The attack on the Epulu Station was in retaliation for recent engagements by ICCN rangers that disrupted poaching and mining activities in the Southern part of the Reserve. The rebels want to be free to reopen the mines and poach wildlife without interference. The OCP was also targeted because of our significant support of ICCN operations and personnel. Since March of this year ICCN and its partners in Epulu have been requesting assistance as it was clear there was intent of a retaliatory action from these rebels. The lack of response to these pleas has now resulted in a terrible loss of life. It is now critically important that all partners contribute funding towards the rebuilding and re-equipping of ICCN Headquarters in Epulu. The Okapi Conservation Project will begin to reorganize as we deal with the destruction of our infrastructure and the loss of ambassador okapi, which were so important to our mission and educational programs of the project. Our first priority is to restock the clinic and food stores and to help ICCN and OCP staff rebuild their personal lives. After a thorough assessment of the damage to project facilities and equipment in Epulu we will define a rebuilding strategy and budget and we will be reaching out to our friends and supporters for help in returning the programs back to full operation. Meanwhile the OCP will continue to provide funds to the ICCN so that it can carry out anti poaching activities that protect okapi, and all the wildlife of the Ituri Forest. All of our thoughts are with the people of Epulu and the families that lost loved ones. We thank our friends for their concern during this tragic time and know that with your support the Okapi Conservation Project and ICCN will again be working together to safeguard the forest home of the okapi. The Wildlife Conservation Network has offered to collect contributions for the emergency fund while we focus our efforts on rebuilding the Station and keeping programs operating that aid the local communities.
So incredibly tragic. I learned of the attack on Facebook but at the time they didn't know yet what had happened to the staff or the Okapi. I'd hoped for a better outcome.
Second time around: first time it was the northern white rhinos that got ransacked (and central government lumbered large over the subject without actually doing anything). I hope that ICCN now comes out stronger from disaster than before. What can you do about all these militias? I really do think that UN would need to go into action mode with all these (Mai Mai and Hutu rebels) and engage them. When no progress ensues shortly, I can only see total mop up ... It is a disgrace on the world we cannot seem to be doing anything other than controlling a status quo (this and this alone has allowed the Eastern Congo to digress to an almost total all out war, rape and pillage country). The international community should really be ashamed ... As for the okapis and gorillas and other wildlife they remain out in the cold .. (as do local communities benefiting from the conservation intiatives and sustainable future development (as the charcoal burning is not)).
Saw that the BBC have reported on this horrific act. Just as a warning, the video does contain a couple of images of the dead okapi. BBC News - Okapis and conservationists killed by DRC rebels
Here is the story: Militia massacres rangers, 13 endangered okapi at Congo wildlife reserve Searching for Bonobo in Congo Okapi Attack Sends Shock Waves through the Ituri Forest
So sad and mad right now. what a shame. I mean really who has the nerve to do that. All i gots to say is wow.
there was another attack (on rangers and journalists) at the Okapi Wildlife Reserve near Epulu in July this year (2017): https://www.okapiconservation.org/details-on-july-14-attack-in-okapi-wildlife-reserve/ On July 14, 2017, an unidentified group of armed men attacked a group of rangers and journalists in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (OWR) in Bapela, a three-hour walk through the forest outside of the town of Bandisende, just east of our station in Epulu. Because of the relative calm in the area and regular presence of Institute in Congo for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) rangers, ICCN Kinshasa authorized a visit by three independent journalists, including two Dutch reporters and an American reporter accompanied by a Congolese interpreter. The reason for their visit was to produce a documentary on the threats facing the Okapi Wildlife Reserve and to demonstrate the efforts by ICCN rangers who risk their lives every day protecting the forest. The Bapela mine was regularly occupied for several years by illegal gold miners, but in late March 2017, the miners were removed from the area by ICCN rangers. A section of rangers was posted at the mine to prevent reoccupation of the area, and a regular rotation of rangers was set in place. On July 13, during the regularly scheduled rotation to relieve the ICCN rangers posted at the mine, a team of nine ICCN rangers, accompanied by the three journalists and the interpreter traveled to the area to collect information for the documentary. They arrived at the location as planned and spent the night. On July 14 around 3:30 p.m., the camp was attacked by unknown assailants. Late that evening, the first group of eight people who had managed to escape, including five ICCN rangers, the two Dutch journalists and the injured paddler of the canoe that saved them, arrived at the headquarters in Epulu. The rest of the ranger team and the American journalist were unaccounted for. A team of ICCN rangers and Congolese military was dispatched on a search-and-rescue mission to find the remaining rangers and the American journalist. Upon arrival at the scene of the attack, there were no signs of the attackers which had taken all money, identification, weapons and equipment, leaving only tents and food. The team of ICCN rangers and Congolese military found the American journalist hiding in a hole previously dug by the gold miners. In the early hours of July 16, the ICCN rangers in the OWR deployed another team to Bapela to recover the bodies of the five individuals who were killed at the site. That afternoon, the last of the surviving rangers was accounted for in Bandisende. The Congolese army is still searching for a Congolese porter who is still unaccounted for after the attack. An investigation is underway to determine the identity of the attackers and the reason for the attack. Virunga National Park graciously sent additional reinforcements and scent dogs to assist with the search for the attackers, and sent a plane to safely evacuate the journalists to Virunga National Park headquarters where they were treated for minor injuries. We are devastated by the loss of five individuals – four dedicated ICCN rangers, Antopo Selemani, Gukiya Ngbekusa, Kisembo N’singa, and Sudi Koko, who worked tirelessly to protect the forest, and one porter, Lokana Tingiti. We are thankful that none of our project staff were involved or hurt during the attack. Right now, we are focused on the families of those killed, and concentrating on the needs of the local community who need to know we are there for them. Okapi Conservation Project is covering the costs of the mission to retrieve the fallen rangers from the forest and covering all funeral costs to relieve the financial burden on their families during this devastating time. Any support from our global community of supporters is welcomed and appreciated to help cover the costs of helping the affected families and honoring the dedicated rangers who gave their lives protecting the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. ICCN rangers risk their lives every day protecting the integrity of the forest and the animals that live within it. They continue to work in these hostile conditions, and they need to know that we will continue to be there for them every day. The strongest message we can send to the unidentified attackers is to steadfastly remain committed to supporting the ICCN rangers’ efforts to protect okapi and the forest, and supporting the communities that are impacted by these senseless acts of violence.
