Africa’s Oldest National Park Affected By Oil
At the end of June 2018, the news came: the oldest national park in Africa was declared an oil interest zone, so it will be explored for its extraction. The project affects not only the famous Virunga park, but also the one in Salonga.
Oil exploration risks
The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo announced that 21.5% of the oldest national park in Africa will be dedicated to oil exploration, which corresponds to a total of 172,000 hectares.
Virunga Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to the mountain gorilla , a unique primate.
In the case of Virunga, the mountain gorilla population has recently reached 1,000 specimens. Add to that that the oldest national park in Africa is also part of the elephant and hippopotamus habitat. The NGO Global Witness denounced this project, which would have serious consequences for the Congolese nature.
Gorilla territory was protected thanks to the work of heroines like Dian Fossey, who gave her life for the preservation of Africa’s oldest national park.
The spectacular recovery of mountain gorillas in Virunga owes much to this woman, who was murdered by a poacher.
Violence in Africa’s oldest national park
This intention to open Virunga to oil exploration adds to the previous delicate situation, as the park was recently closed to tourism.
The closure came as a result of a wave of incidents, which resulted in episodes of extreme violence and the killings of rangers.
Africa’s oldest national park spans 7,800 square kilometers, stretching north to Lake Kivu, on the border with Uganda and Rwanda.
The park has always been harassed by hunters and paramilitary groups, responsible for the murders that led to the closure of this nature reserve.
However, we must remember that this area has always been marred by conflict; due to the wars in Congo, the second bloodiest war after World War II.
One reason is the control of coltan mines, which can now be added to those in oil zones.
Salonga, this great unknown
It is not yet known which part of the territory will be removed from the Salonga National Park. But we know that the bonobo, as well as several other great apes, will be harmed by the measure.
Despite popular belief, chimpanzees and bonobos are similarly related to humans. They split from us, at the evolutionary level, at about the same period.
However, Salonga holds the title of largest natural forest reserve in Africa, as it covers more than three and a half million hectares.
This rainforest also serves as a refuge for elephants and white rhinos. It was possible to prevent poaching, but not a civil war that devastated one of the poorest countries in the world.
Furthermore, the threat that oil exploration poses to both parks is unprecedented.
Just a few years ago, a documentary denounced the intentions of the British company SOCO to carry out oil drilling, but social pressure managed to stop this activity.
So we hope that this time the same thing happens and the current existence of both parks is guaranteed.
