Confronting Threats to Virunga, Africa's Oldest Park
Rangers in new documentary risk their lives to protect the national park.
By Jon Rosen
for National Geographic
Published April 29, 2014
As filmmaker Orlando von Einsiedel arrived in New York recently for
the debut of Virunga, his new feature-length documentary, he turned on
his phone to a slew of urgent messages. Seven thousand miles away, in
the war-ravaged Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), unknown gunmen
had ambushed and shot one of the film's main characters. (See "Chief
Warden Shot in Africa's Oldest National Park.")
For the previous two years, von Einsiedel had followed Emmanuel de
Merode, the Belgian chief warden of Virunga National Park, as he and
his team of 680 rangers confronted a complex web of threats and
challenges: a brutal rebel insurgency, gangs of poachers, and a
British oil and gas firm, Soco International, conducting exploratory
studies inside the park.
Now de Merode, a man with many enemies, was in a Nairobi hospital with
bullet wounds to the legs and chest.
In a phone interview from New York, von Einsiedel said the shooting is
emblematic of the difficulties faced by all of Virunga's caretakers.
He applauded the rangers' courage and willingness to risk their lives
to ensure that Africa's oldest and most biodiverse national park is
preserved, and he expressed confidence they would succeed.
National Geographic spoke with him about his film and the situation in the park.
Tell me how the idea to do a story on Virunga came about. Did you have
any idea you'd end up shooting in the midst of a rebellion?
[Laughs.] I'd made a lot of films that were positive stories from
places that maybe you don't hear that much positivity from. And I
stumbled on a story about rangers rescuing a baby mountain gorilla. I
did a bit of further reading, and I knew that eastern Congo was going
through a period of relative peace, and I thought the park story was a
metaphor for what was going on in the wider region. I thought this was
a really amazing, positive story of inspirational rangers.
So I packed my bags and went out, and within about three weeks of
being there, the new M23 rebellion happened, and very quickly I was
making a very different film.
Was there ever a point, because of the resumption of war, that you
considered abandoning the project?
No, because the moment that all started, we ended up being trapped in
the park for a number of weeks. And as unpleasant as it all was, the
rangers have been going through this for a long time. They expect the
ultimate sacrifice to protect Virunga, because they realize how
important the park can be for the future of the region. And that to me
is such an inspiring story that, no matter how dark moments got, it
always gave you the kind of energy and inspiration to carry on.
What was your reaction when you learned that Emmanuel de Merode had been shot?
I had that sinking feeling [you get] when people say, "Call me; it's
urgent." Everyone was incredibly worried. Thankfully, Emmanuel is
okay. This has highlighted just how dangerous the work is that the
rangers do--140 of them have died in the past 15 years.
How has the attack affected the reception of the film in New York?
We definitely got quite a bit of media attention in the beginning
because of it. And because the film is part of the campaign to save
the park--the campaign to stop illegal oil exploration in the park-the
two things got meshed.
Much of your film focuses on Soco's preliminary studies inside the
park [which have been authorized by the DRC government under an
exemption to existing law]. Why do the park's stewards see this as
such a threat?
I think there are several issues. Our investigation brings up very
real concerns about bribery and corruption, about human rights abuses,
and about links with armed groups.
[Editor's note: Soco has said the film contains allegations that are
"unfounded and inaccurate" and that no drilling has been planned "or
is warranted at this stage." The company said it "operates under a
strict Code of Business Conduct and Ethics," and any reported breach
"will always be investigated to the furthest extent possible."]
In its official response to the film, Soco maintains that it will
never seek to operate in areas of the park that include the mountain
gorilla habitat, the Virunga volcanoes, or the Virunga equatorial
forest.
Yeah, that's true. The concession that they have doesn't go into the
gorilla area. But I think it's also a moot point. [You can't] separate
the survival of the gorillas from what happens 30 kilometers away in
another part of the park. It's an ecosystem. So if an enormous area of
the park is suddenly cut off for oil to be exploited, I think it's
completely wrong for Soco to say it will never affect the gorillas. I
mean, it's just crazy. Of course it will. Massively.
Your film documents Soco associates or their supporters attempting to
bribe Virunga park officials. According to Soco, such acts "have never
been nor will [they] ever be sanctioned by" the company itself.
The point is, in an area with a security situation as fragile as
eastern Congo, they have a duty to be very aware of everyone who's
working with them, or in any way tied to them, so that this doesn't
happen.
As you note, more than 140 Virunga rangers have been killed since the
start of the first Congo war. From your experience in the park, what
keeps them in their jobs? What motivates them?
It's hope. It truly is hope that eastern Congo can be better, and a
belief that the park can be a driving force in making things better
through tourism, through the ambitious hydro schemes that are being
developed, though fisheries work, through agriculture. The rangers are
aware that what they're doing can shape an enormous area of Congo. And
of course they care about the animals. Of course they deeply care
about the gorillas. But it's that whole package together. That's why
they all say, "Look, if I die doing this job, I can die proud."
Are there not some involved with poaching, or with other activities
harming the park?
Some people can be tempted; that's just human nature. But the
overwhelming majority of them are incredibly committed. I've done a
bit of traveling in my life, and I've never come across a collective
group of people with such integrity and honor.
Your film portrays the chief warden, de Merode, as the primary
obstacle to Soco's ambitions in the park. How does he hold so much
influence, particularly given that Soco has support from many in the
DRC government?
The first thing is, there are not so many people supporting Soco.
There are some people in the government who are, but it's certainly
not an overwhelming majority. There are lots of people who absolutely
support the park. Emmanuel is a figurehead in the park because he's
the director, but virtually all of the rangers are against [Soco's
work in Virunga]. It's not even just the rangers. It's civil society,
it's local fishing villages; there's lots of opposition.
What is de Merode's reputation among citizens living in the vicinity
of the park?
He's very well respected. When you drive around with him, kids shout
out his name. And the fishing communities--they're very aware that the
fishery stocks have gone up because the fishing's much more
controlled. So he and his team, they have a very good reputation.
In addition to his fight against Soco, de Merode has taken a
particularly tough stance against the illegal-and highly
lucrative--charcoal trade that operates within the park. Could this
have made him local enemies?
The charcoal trade is mainly controlled by armed groups that don't
like the rangers doing their work because it prevents them from
illegally exploiting the park or robbing people on the roads. So, yes,
for sure, that has created enemies.
Are you at all worried that in de Merode's absence, the park will be
more vulnerable?
No, he's in contact all the time with his team. I think they're in a
pretty robust position.
Who do you believe is most likely behind the shooting?
I couldn't possibly speculate. No one has any evidence about who it
might be, so we just have to see what a local investigation turns up.
Does the fight to keep Soco out of the park have a chance?
We believe it does. We believe that Virunga is an urgent and
precedent-setting case. This is how local people feel, but also I
think it's really important that the world doesn't let a UNESCO World
Heritage site fall in the face of business interests.
What is sacred if we let Virunga, Africa's oldest national park, fall?
The filmmaking team, the park's team, we all remain very optimistic
that illegal oil exploitation in Virunga can be stopped.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/04/140429-virunga-gorillas-congo-conservation-oil-soco/
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