The Rangers Of Virunga National Park #2
by Brent Stirton
Title
The Rangers Of Virunga National Park #2
Artist
Brent Stirton
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
KIBATI RANGER STATION, CLOSE TO GOMA, VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK,NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO FEBRUARY 26: Major Paul Mpoka, commander of the ICCN Advanced Force Rangers, waits out a rainstorm with his men at Kibati Rangers Station. The advent of the rainy season has prevented the Rangers from carrying out patrols for 4 days now. ICCN Advance Force rangers at the Kibati Station are conducting roadblocks and vehicle searches for illegal charcoal in Virunga National Park. They are being assisted by members of the Congolese military police who are looking to stamp out their own military's involment in the illegal charcoal industry. The ICCN Ranger's job is complicated by the large number of Congolese military travelling on many of the vehicles and also by the fact that the Charcoal producers are increasingly turning to military vehicles as their means of transport as the Rangers until today had no rights to search vehicles of the Congolese Army. There is complicity between bad elements of the Congolese military and the rebel FDLR Interhamwe militias involved in the illegal Charcoal industry, rumoured to be worth around 30 million dollars a year in the Goma region of DRC. Rwanda recently banned the production of charcoal which has led to increased prices and demand. The ranger's job is further complicated by the fact that the area is desperately poor and people have a hard time accepting this ban on one of the very few opportunities they feel they have to actually make some money. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)
Image provided by Getty Images.
Uploaded
January 22nd, 2019
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Image ID
92920414
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