DR Congo’s Virunga National Park Attacked, 12 Rangers And 5 Civilians Killed in Ambush at Gorilla Park

An ambush near the Virunga Park in eastern Congo killed 17 people including 12 rangers who helped guard some of the world's last remaining mountain gorillas in the wild on Friday. Government official Cosma Wilungula on Friday said that the attack was the deadliest in the recent history. He said about 60 militiamen had ambushed a convoy of civilians that was being protected by the rangers. Virunga, located in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a UNESCO-listed site which is spread over 7,800 square kilometres over the borders of DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. The park is home to mountain gorillas, however, in the recent times have been hit by g instability and violence. Last year, a selfie of a park ranger with two gorillas had gone viral on social media platforms.

Explaining the incident Virunga in their website says, "Initial investigations indicate that the Rangers were on their way back to the headquarters when they encountered a civilian vehicle that had been attacked and subsequently came under a ferociously violent and sustained ambush. We can confirm that the perpetrators of the attack were the armed group 'FDLR-FOCA'."

The fighters, who have been active in the area for more than 25 years. They are among the armed groups competing for control of the region's rich natural resources. It is said that civilians were the apparent target of Friday's attack. The guards were killed "while coming to help a civilian vehicle which had come under fire by the assailants," the statement said.

The park's statement on their website reads, "The Rangers of the Congolese Institute for the Conservational of Nature are agents of the State responsible for the application of the Law on the Conservation of Nature. They do not have military status and their actions do not fall under the law of conflict. The Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature will spare no effort to bring to justice, in accordance with the law, the perpetrators of this vile attack."

The viral photo was clicked by Mathieu Shamavu, Virunga ranger and caretaker at the park’s Senkwekwe Center for Orphaned Mountain Gorillas. He had clicked pictures with the female gorillas, Ndakazi and Ndeze during a walk which the park shared on their social media handles. The wild animals can be seen standing upright as if posing for the photograph.

Here is the Viral Photo of the Park Ranger With Gorillas:

Virunga paid tributes to those who died in the attack and further writes, "These tragic events will not be allowed to undermine Virunga National Park's commitment to economic and humanitarian development programmes in partnership with and for the benefit of, the communities that surround the Park. More than ever, those communities aspire to live in a climate of stability, justice and peace.

Inaugurated in 1925, Virunga Park has witnessed multiple attacks by rebel groups, militias and poachers. A total of 176 of its rangers have been killed in the last 20 years. Due to coronavirus pandemic, visits to the park have been suspended since March 19 for at least 30 days. The park had banned visitors between May 2018 to the start of last year after two British tourists were kidnapped from the region. Although, they were later released, a ranger was killed during the abduction.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 25, 2020 03:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).