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Most people think of gorillas as an animal found deep in the tropical rainforests of Africa, as yet
untouched by the modern world; yet the forests are no longer deep, nor are they uninhabited.
Indeed, as conflicts continue in many African gorilla states (UNSC, 2008), the forests are be-
ing cut and burnt to charcoal, timber extracted, roads built, mining operations accelerated and
gorillas, along with chimpanzees, bonobos andmany other species of wildlife, are being hunted
down, killed and sold as bushmeat to feed logging and mining camps and the rapidly rising
population relying on bushmeat (Brashares
et al.
, 2004; Poulsen
et al.
, 2009). A rise is also be-
ing observed along with this poaching and lack of law enforcement in illegal trade and poaching
for other species, including trade of juvenile apes, rhino horn or ivory (Nellemann, pers. obs.).
Gorilla populations are increasingly found in isolated ecologi-
cal islands, frequently in the remaining rugged terrain or in
swamps, facing the continued loss of habitat, lost access to
valuable foraging sites or even capture or death from bushmeat
hunters (UNEP, 2002). Gorillas are also threatened by disease
outbreaks, such as Ebola, and other diseases, some of which can
be transmitted unwittingly by infected tourists and park staff
approaching too close to habituated apes.
In spite of attempts to monitor logging concessions and introduce
certification schemes for timber or minerals, there are currently
no proven schemes in place to secure the continued survival of
gorillas, with the exception of the success of the mountain gorillas
that have been protected by an effective ranger force, supportive
governments and community involvement. Continued road devel-
opment to extract resources also facilitates exploitation of wildlife
for bushmeat (Wilkie
et al.
, 2000; Brashares
et al.
, 2004; Blake
et
al.
, 2008; Brugiere and Magassouba, 2009; Poulsen
et al.
, 2009).
Protected areas currently offer the main formal tool to theoreti-
cally protect the gorillas and many other endangered species.
However, this formal protection depends entirely on the abil-
ity, training and support of the law enforcement agents pres-
ent in the parks, generally in the form of park rangers, some-
times supported by regular police or army units. The price
paid by these courageous defenders of wildlife is high. Con-
fronted with militia making incomes from charcoal and mining
(UNSC, 2001; 2008), widespread corruption and also compa-
nies supported by large multinational networks, more than 200
rangers have been killed in the last decade in the relatively small
area of the Albertine Rift. Poaching to supply bushmeat for
mining, logging and militia camps, as well as towns, is rising
alongside continued habitat destruction and rising human pop-
ulations (Wilkie and Carpenter, 1999; Fa
et al.
, 2000; Brashares
et al.
, 2004; Ryan and Bell, 2005; Poulsen
et al.
, 2009).
The ability of the rangers to enforce laws also depends on other
factors: support from administrative officials, judicial aware-
ness and willingness to prosecute, and not the least, training
and coordination of customs officers and patrolling rangers
(Hilborn
et al.
, 2006).
The Congo basin also holds some the worlds largest remaining
rainforests that provide eco-system services on a global scale
and could play a crucial role in climate mitigation strategies
under the REDD+ programmes. These are being designed to
protect existing carbon stocks and further carbon sequestration
through preservation of rainforests. Establishing appropriate
law enforcement and community engagement is essential for
success and a prerequisite for any REDD+ investment.
This report stresses the urgency of the situation in the Congo Ba-
sin and aims to raise awareness of the success that trans-boundary
law enforcement collaboration can bring even in a conflict region.
INTRODUCTION