DRC-Uganda: Tensions between residents near the Sarambwe Reserve and Bwindi Park

Tensions are persisting between communities near the Sarambwe Nature Reserve in Rutshuru, North Kivu, and residents around Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Muhindo Kibunga Elias, an environmental activist in Rutshuru, said several Sarambwe community trackers were violently attacked on Monday by suspected Ugandan park rangers. The dispute dates back to April, when Congolese trackers seized about 30 goats believed to belong to Ugandan herders and took them to a reserve monitoring post. The owners have yet to receive clear information about the animals, and the activist fears the tensions could worsen.