The Okapi Reserve

Category: Community Work, Epulu, General | Date: Jun 12 2007 | By: admin

By MAN for MAN is the new concept for conservationists. Last time conservation had its strict philosophy, that means “integral conservation ‘’, and local population was not associated for any activity of the Park, but in this century, man remains in the center of conservation. Let me tell you that, especially in Epulu, we start involve community for the management of the reserve; this means the Manager needs input from the community.

The zoning of agricultural, hunting zones continue in some sectors of the Reserve ( Molokay, Epulu, Bandisende , Seti ,…) where community plays key role in the field

The tradition chief sensitizes community about the zoning meaning

Boundary marker of the agricultural zone

Currently, we are trying to conciliate conservation with the normal live of boys and ladies in the Reserve otherwise to see how to pass the conservation message through the football, theatre activities. Sincerely obliges to let you know that the Environmental Education Program of the Reserve which is running by Mr. Marcel Enckoto of Gilman International conservation, Inc is in charge of these activities, and so far I underline as a good way to occupy young men. What he is doing is to buy jersey, balls, soccer boot … With the support of leisure and sport service of Mambasa, football competitions are organized and players from Epulu go to Mambasa, Salate, Banana … The last football match was organized 3 weeks ago (ladies from Epulu against those from Mambasa) and the score was draw, but it was fantastic to see it. The boys from Epulu also played, and 27 minutes later Epulu succeeded to score the first goal, and I can see how people were happy.

Epulu team supported by GIC via Education Program

Both Piloli team from Mambasa and Okapi sport team of Epulu on the ground at Epulu

The DRCongo new Constitution obliges equity gender, so the reserve is also planning to rally ladies around football, and an improvement is seeing. The first match was played against those from Salate village, and Epulu won the game. Mr. Marcel decided 3 weeks ago to select players from Epulu and Salate for a big match against ladies Mambasa’s team.

Mr. Kabala and Marcel advancing players.

Players’ team of Mambasa

Players from Epulu

After the friendly soccer match : a remembering snap

At all, we realize that conserving an ecosystem does not mean a useful of fire arm, but such idea of occupying a group of people can work. The main preoccupation is to not forget your objective, this means organizing meetings and talk about the importance of nature for future generation…

Somba

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Category: Epulu, Mbuti Pygmies | Date: Jun 06 2007 | By: admin

Makubasi and Issa the two pygmie man are more than 70 years old. They are always found and have been leaving together from their childhood. Their fathers George and Faisi were twins.

They used to live in the Bandindikwe area 5km east of Epulu village, next to their Mubila tribe master, called Ngoma. However, a conflict rose between the pygmies and the Babila due to incensuous ritual dance. The pygmies felt diminished and reacted in arrow battle.

Ngoma brought the pygmy clan to Mr. Putnam for sale. Putnam was living in Epulu his house was named ‘Palais’ (palace). He strongly condemned Ngoma for his criminal proposal and warned him that human being can not be sold. Putnma requested George and Faisi to move next to his property for safety.

At that time no bridge was set crossing over the Epulu River. People had to use embarkation.

After the death of their fathers, Makubasi and Issa stayed at Putnam’s property. In 1967 they moved to the Okapi capture station and set up their camp behind the Okapi enclosures and from their they changed again their location back to the forest close to Lelo River area.

Except for the time Makubasi worked in Garamba National Park for one year, feeding monkeys, warthogs and porcupines, he lived with his brother Issa in full harmony.

‘This requires good temper, culture of advising and understanding each other together with forgiveness’. Issa said that they learned it from their grandfahters and fathers. ‘Our grandfathers warned us about conflicts and wars’. They experienced arrow battles and predicted we would see firearm war. And they were very right as we realize it now ’said Makubasi.

George was Makubasi’s father and Faisi Issa’s. In the same coindience of George being elder to Faisi, Makubasi is elder to Issa. Issa keeps revealing this with a lot of respect. It bears the impression that speaking of two pygmy chiefs undermining two clans is not correct.

Analyzing the future harmony of the clan, Issa says their descendants quarrel very often, especially when alcohol is involved. Makubasi and Issa have the heavy task of resolving the conflicts among they young clan members.

How the group shall evolve in terms of mutual respect unity and land use will have responses in the future.

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Category: Epulu, Rangers | Date: May 26 2007 | By: admin

Presently, I would like to share with you this favorable moment that I am enjoying. As my background, I am a teacher of formation but only joining conservation ground since 1994 as a field Ranger in Okapi wildlife Reserve.

Mr. Marcel ENCKOTO on picture below is one of the person’s who invested his effort to me as my Teacher in Mandima Institute during the 1984 years , and then meet each other in Okapi Reserve as conservationists. He is the Assistant of the GIC Director for 4 years ,and the Education Program Coordinator. Really, he deserves his……..

from left : Somba and Mr. Marcel Enckoto

reading the nomination decision .

That I am enjoying is my recent nomination on the rank of Conservator and Deputy Warden of Okapi Wildlife Reserve. My gratitude must go straightly to Mr. Cosmas Wilingula the General Administrator of the ICCN/Kinshasa with his team who after deliberation saw the necessity of crowning me of this rank for the benefit of Okapi Wildlife Reserve in particular and for the ICCN in general. I was not alone, but with some Officers and Field Rangers.

The Senior Warden Mr. Mapilanga hands the nomination letter to C. Somba on parade.

from left Officers Amboya , Abeli, Alio , Somba and Banyanito .

“First of all ,promotion must be deserved, and is the fruit of the individual effort” said Mr. Mapilanga (senior warden) on parade of 18th. As I underlined earlier, 20 rangers were also crowning accordingly. Let me tell you that such promotion is a part of personal motivation, and I can imagine the moral of those who did not be promoted. Surely, they are stressed, but the Senior Warden encouraged them to work hardly.

More over, I am seeing the heavy burden on my shoulder, but with support of other colleagues and yours, I am convinced to win the game.

Somba

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Category: Epulu, General, Ranger Patrols, Rangers | Date: May 18 2007 | By: admin

An Intelligence training was organizing in Epulu under the auspices of the UNESCO via Gilman International Conservation one of the Partner of ICCN/RFO. Paul Naish a citizen of

South Africa was the lecturer helped by the interpreter John Peter Bugogo. The COCOSI /RFO (Site Coordination Comity) met first with the team, this to introduce them to the Coordination team of the Reserve. In this context the Senior Warden Mr. Mapilanga asked Mr. Paul Naish to explain the framework of the course to the present comity.

Paul Naish talking with the RFO coordination comity

Mr.Mubalama Kakira from the General Direction of Kinshasa and Mr. Somba

comenting on the intelligence session

11 Rangers selected, and participated actively in the session and the result was good. “I’ve never seen an active class like this ….”Said Mr. Paul during the closing ceremony. English was the lecturing language with interpreting in French or Swahili respectively by JP Bugogo and Somba (one of the student)

One of the objectives of the course was to establish a network system in and around the Reserve. The course consisted of theory and practical work where by traveling to the nearest villagers and see what things are going on, especially on illegal activity…

One of the objectives of the course was to establish a network system in and around the Reserve. The course consisted to theory and practical work where by traveling to the nearest villagers and see how things are going on especially on illegal activity…

Paul briefing students before leaving the RFO station for the field

On February 2007, the senior Warden Mr. Mapilanga and his Deputy Warden Mr. Somba organized a mission around the Reserve with the aim of recruiting informers according to the criteria learned that means: where to recruit? who? how ?…. also the Management seized the opportunity to contact politics, customers and clergy authorities as stakeholders of the community. By this, I mean first sensitizing them for the wise use of Natural resource found in the Reserve, and exhort them to give the right message to the community, as the reserve deserves its durability. Some recent information was given to them as proof of threats that the reserve faces i.e birds are killed without reason, monkeys are always victims…

a bird killed by pygmies women at Dingbo Region

A suspended monkeys’snare in Wamba region

So far, we are already covering the 3/4 of the reserve by establishing intelligence network. We stress on intelligence as a backbone for a good conservation of a Park or Nature Reserve because the experience shows that the neighboring community is not the direct destructor or poacher of a protected area but they do undergo the exterior influence. I still remember Paul’s saying “You should send your informers out of the Park or reserve where pressure is coming, and organize operation accordingly. Not wait until the enemy enters in the room

Paul, Bugogo instructing student

An intelligence network is a tool that is used by the Manager; once you have necessary information on a sector, an operation cannot fail, and the result must be positive.

By the way, let me tell you that the tour we are organizing for a follow up of these informers’ costs. We propose to motivate informers monthly, buy fuel, accommodation, and so on.

In one word, intelligence network is very important in a protected area, but cash is needed.

from left : Somba,Mr. Malingane ( provincial ICCN

authority), Mr. Benoit KISUKI ( ICCN General Direction )and Mr. Mapilanga

The RFO Staff attended the party organized for the issue .I noticed the presence of Robbert Muir from FZS( rigth on picture )

Maman SALAMA , Marie Gaby,and Marceline in kitchen preparing food for the party

Fatu and Marie Gaby

Marie Gaby, and Fatuma ( cookers )

Somba

Technorati : congo, epulu, okapi, wildlifedirect

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Category: Epulu, Okapi | Date: May 02 2007 | By: admin

Faida, Karu’s mother, was pregnant during the worst war battle Epulu ever experienced in 2002 since the unrest started in Congo in 1996.

When Karu was born on the 24th April 2003 it was for all the population in Epulu a special event and our people decided that it had to be announced on the local radio in Beni in North Kivu. People look at Karu as a symbol of peace because he was born right after the war ended in the Ituri region. He is very important to all of us here in Epulu, and his name was given in memory of Karl Ruf.

Rosie

Technorati : congo, drc, epulu, gic, karu, okapi, okapi wildlife reserve, wildlifedirect

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Category: Epulu, Videos | Date: Apr 29 2007 | By: admin

It is nice to observe the passage of Ankole cattle through the Reserve. People start singing. In the forest region cattle do not have enough food, and there are many parasites that cause their death. They always come from Bunia to Mambasa to Bafwasende to Kisangani… a long long way. People walk with the cattle, and it is not easy because the guardians must walk nightly with them to protect them against mosquitos.

This video was given to me by WildlifeDirect and I want to share. Ankole cattle are very old and go back thousands of years. They are known to all people for their beautiful horns.

Somba

Technorati : ankole, congo, drc, epulu, okapi wildlife reserve, wildlifedirect

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Category: Community Work, Epulu, Okapi, Rangers | Date: Apr 19 2007 | By: admin

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve which is situated in Northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo and covers 14,000 square kilometers of tropical rainforest remains the habitat of the endemic specie ” okapi ” (okapia johnstonie ) which interacts with other animals such us forest buffalo, leopard, forest elephant, bongo antilope, duikers, monkeys, and so on. It overlaps 2 Districts namely Ituri and Haut - Uele .

The TransAfrican road which connects Nairobi-Kampala-DR Congo to Matadi port crosses the Reserve for almost 117km. Could you imagine how much importance this has in the region? Every 2 months, a hired truck brings patrol food, ICCN materials from Butembo-Beni via Mambasa. In the rainy season it can take a week to cover a distance of 212km because of the state of the road.

Ranger Nzoigba on the bike crossing a traditional bridge inside the reserve.

Since October 2006, The Chinese company SINOHYDRO started fixing the road inside the Reserve, so it allows us to quickly reach Beni-Butembo (6 hours by car), rather than the 2 days that it used to take.

Ranger Claude BAKIAKA travels on the new road

As a conservationist, the road is a good thing for the country - both for the economy and development. But I can image it also provides an easier opportunity to have poachers, illegal loggers, illegal miners and the migration movement in the Reserve. So we are supposed to intensify operation inside the protected area and also to reinforce the intelligence network in the villages. In this matter, a 6 week training course was planned and executed.

Paul Naish from South Africa was the lecturer. 11 Rangers were selected to attend teh course. So far the results on the ground are good. The course consisted to establish a kind of intelligence network around the Reserve, the manner of reporting, how to recruit an informer? How to search a car once in the reserve? Finger prints?

illegal miners detected and arrested during a patrol

As I mentioned earlier, the timber exploitation is growing in the surrounding region of the Reserve, and this moment trucks from Nairobi often load 15 to 20 tons of wood in a bad road, but nowadays with a good fixed road the truck owners exaggerate and load over 60 tons.

The Ituri river is one of the natural resource of the Reserve which takes its source from Bunia and crosses the reserve by South . It has a bridge built during the colonial period, and we cross on it when going from Mambasa to Komanda , Bunia or Beni .

Actually, we are facing a critical situation. An overloaded truck broke the Ituri bridge recently that was newly maintained by the Chinese, who warned people not take more than 25 tons. Unfortunately it does not make sense for timber traders. The truck is still in the water. 3 people died and the driver himself lost one of his arms.

Bridge Ituri broken by an overloaded truck

In this stage, the negative side is that we are now completely blocked in Epulu and the reserve in terms of quickly providing patrol rations and equipment. The big questions is WHO or WHAT organization could come in and help repair this bridge???

You should see the difficulties we have in DR Congo! Especially in Conservation!

Somba

Technorati : congo, epulu, okapi

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Category: Community Work, Epulu, Mbuti Pygmies | Date: Apr 15 2007 | By: admin

A PART OF THE MBUTIE’S SALARY is distributed as food rations. The total of 10 kg of rice, 3 kg of beans, 3 bottles of palm oil, 1 bar of soap, 1 kg of salt and 4 tobacco leaves are divided up three times a month for every Mbuti.Those days are party days for the entire family which is present when the distribution takes place.

Preparation ration Rice, Beans, Soap and Salt

This Orange looking mass is palm oil

This is the local tobacco which the Mbuties love to smoke probably anti smoking campaigns wouldn’t be successfull.

The value of the ration for the Mbuties is almost equal to their salary.They definitely have a different relation to money than we do. Unfortunately many of them are illiterate and lost if it comes up counting money. Their employment contributes to local economic development, as many people benefit from their money when they purchase goods. It improves their livelihood, in terms of managing their money, in addition to the traditional hunting, gathering and swopping lifestyle. That’s why together with them we came up with the food solution and they appreciate this arrangement.

Woman and children are patiently waiting for their ration

She was not sure when I took her picture but was smiling when she saw herself on the screen

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Category: Epulu, General, Ranger Patrols, Rangers | Date: Apr 14 2007 | By: admin

I want to inform all of you that The Okapi WilDife Reserve is going through a critical period. Two Rangers have died in recent days one after the other.The Assistant Ranger at the reserve, Jean MUNDUELE MUNENE who was supervising the anti-poaching activities in the East and Northeast of the Reserve was suffering and had his treatment at Mambasa Hospital , near the reserve. Things did not go very well so he was transferred from Beni to University Clinic of Kinshasa (the capital city of DRCongo ). Unfortunately, on 4th March we received a message from the General Director of the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature announcing his death. Really it was very sad news.

A team of 5 rangers were deployed to patrol the Southeastern sector of the Reserve where illegal miners were ejected only one week ago. Once they arrived to the Base the patrol leader MOZANGADIKO decided to cross the Ituri river and check that the miners were not coming back. The leader came across a group of 8 irregular military men protecting illegal miners digging gold in Ituri river. The first armed contact started and Rangers succeeded in dispersing the illegitimate soldiers from their base.


from left to rigth: Masumbuko, Mozangadiko ( team leader ),

Gbondo, Selemani and the brave porter Mapoli

On 22nd of March, the Patrol leader conducted a patrol to an other sector called Masasa ( South East ) of the Reserve where again the team were fitgting against military poachers ( same group ). It was serious, and Mozanga won again by destabilizing those poachers, and the village was completely controled by him.

Once checking inside a house to ensure of security, one of the brave Ranger called KONGOLO alias Sadam did not know if an enemy is inside a house, unfortunately he entered and be shot and die.

Realy, the Reserve looses the brave ranger . It was his first patrol after fininshing his paramilary training on last February 2007

KONGOLO (on the rigth) during his paramilitary graduation ceremonyLet me tell you that we are facing a critical moment in DRCongo in terms of poaching in protected areas. The Government is still in a process of mixing soldiers from different rebels factions with regular military, but others are escaping and become poachers in the parks or reserves of our country.

So, we have to provide excellent training for our rangers for the protection of our ecosystem.

Your support in terms of buying patrol rations, first aid kits, fuel for patrols and other items are warmly welcomed.

Somba

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Category: Epulu, General | Date: Apr 12 2007 | By: admin

It’s great to meet you again on the net, and I seize the opportunity to inform you more about my house. I can imagine how busy you are but I encourage you to exchange ideas with me on any topic.As I’ve told you in my first blog, I am married with 6 kids. My last baby who is named Mapoli Aboubakar is 10 months old, he feels strong, and all moment smiling. His sisters are at primary school in Epulu, in grade 1 and 6. With all hope, I hope that his older sister, 12 years old, is finishing soon her primary school, and go to Beni (nearest town) where should start the secondary school.

Here is Mapoli Aboubakar at 2 months old (left) and his sisters Jacky and Salama ready for school.

Life in DRCongo is not easy, so I am discussing with my wife the planning of the family and I am sure it can work.

Rice and beans is the favourite meal for my kids, rather foufou for their Mum. I always buy 100 kgs of rice and 100 kgs of beans. If I stock this quantity, I feel okay and my children should not suffer from hunger.

Somba

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