According to a DRC official, at least three rangers were killed on Thursday by attackers near a national park that is home to half of the world’s population of endangered mountain gorilla and is frequently targeted by militia.
Vehicles belonging to the Congo Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) were attacked while leaving Kivandya village in North Kivu province, where dozens of armed militia groups are active, resulting in the death of one engineer and the injury of three others.
“We don’t know who the perpetrators are,” said Alain Kiwewa, the local administrator, adding that the attackers took weapons with them as they fled.
Members of the conservation group are responsible for a variety of electrical maintenance tasks in the surrounding community, in addition to their primary mission of ensuring the safety of Virunga National Park.
Militia activity has engulfed Virunga, dating back to civil wars fought around the turn of the century.
Suspected Mai Mai militants attacked a ranger post in Virunga in February, killing one and injuring two. The ICCN warned of a resurgence of violence.
It also warned that conservative efforts for the gorilla is becoming increasingly difficult
