How Goma Conflict Affects Gorilla Trekking in Congo

How Goma Conflict Affects Gorilla Trekking in Congo

Tourism in Goma, the eastern Democratic Republic Congo’s (DRC) capital city, is affected by the conflict justifying such activities as gorilla trekking Safaris in neighboring Virunga National Park. Since armed groups including the M23 rebels began destabilizing the area, Virunga has become one of the most renowned destinations for seeing mountain gorillas in the wild. Both the safety of tourists and the ability of conservationists to protect these endangered animals have been disturbed by the escalating conflict.

Impact on Tourist Safety

Virtually known as Virunga National Park it is well situated near Goma and is Africa’s most popular and unique wildlife destination attracting visitors from all over the world to go for a gorilla trekking Safari. But concern has been expressed over tourist safety, because Goma, which lies close to the park, has been hit by repeated rebel attacks and military engagements. Suspensions to trekking activities have followed in recent months as rebel forces’ violence towards government forces intensified.

Fighting near Goma has made it impossible for tourists to travel safely to the trekking sites that are within the park. And roads to the park are often impassable or unsafe, making would-be trekkers even less likely. Consequently, the tourism (gorilla trekking) generating revenue has been badly affected and even lost.

Restrictions on Trekking Activities

In response to growing security risks, Virunga National Park management has on occasion closed parts of the park to visitors. However it has been difficult to provide the anticipated full trekking experience as the violence has continued, and staff from the park have done what they can, including helping to organize trekking tours in areas less affected by the violence.

To run each trip safely and smoothly, trekking operations depend on cooperation with local communities, park rangers, and tourism operators. But with the danger of conflict increasing, park rangers and guides find themselves in the line of fire trying to make safe trekking routes. Due to a lack of safety and ongoing risks to personnel, some trekking routes have been temporarily suspended.

What’s more, the mounting pressure has pushed the logistical infrastructure required for a successful trekking expedition to the limits. For example, equipped accommodations for tourists near towns such as Goma are sometimes unavailable for trekkers’ convenience because of security issues.

Threats to the Gorilla Population

Goma and its immediate surroundings are a direct threat to the mountain gorillas that live in Virunga National Park. Because the insecurity is increasing these endangered animals are even more vulnerable, and because these animals already are very endangered due to habitat loss and poaching. Usually, armed groups stationed in the vicinity of the park regularly commit, poaching, logging, and encroaching into the park. It also makes gorillas and their habitat even more endangered.

Security in the park is largely the result of park rangers who are very important for the protection of the wildlife and tourists but who face more difficulty in securing the park from poachers and illegal encroachment. Armed groups that operate or are within or near the park create an obstacle to maintaining consistent patrols that put other wildlife species including the gorillas at greater risk.

In addition, human conflict disrupts the natural behavior of the gorillas. Fighting and other disturbances noise and fear of human presence may have driven them from their natural habitat. Displacement of the gorillas from their feeding and breeding patterns can occur.

Decline in Tourist Numbers

The tourism earnings generated around the park and inside Virunga National Park are critical to the local economy. The park’s conservation work is funded by this sector, in part, and its income supports the upkeep of jobs provided by local communities, for instance in the case of gorilla trekking. But conflict continues and tourism in the region has plummeted.

Due to fears of safety some tourists who had planned gorilla trekking safaris have canceled or postponed their visitation. Further discouraging potential visitors, international travel advisories have warned of travel against visiting the region. As a result, there is a big drop in tourist numbers, which substantially reduces the amounts raised by trekking permits and associated activities in order to fund vital conservation projects such as anti-poaching activities and community outreach programs.

Also, hotels, restaurants, and transport services, which rely on tourism, have been hit hard. That decline in visitors has hurt them their operations have declined, caused job losses, and put the people in this tourism economy through financial hardship.

The Future of Gorilla Trekking in Congo

Hope for Congo’s gorilla trekking comes with the restoration of peace and stability in the region. It is possible that trekking operations will remain limited and the gorillas will face even more threats if the conflict continues. But there is hope for the future as conservation organizations, local authorities, and the international community work together to solve the region’s problems.

Steps must be taken for both tourists and wildlife in Virunga to remain safe. That includes expanding international support for park operations and improved security, as well as long-term solutions to the conflict that make tourism safe again. Only through combined efforts towards a peaceful and sustainable Virunga and Eastern Congo will Virunga National Park and its mountain gorillas survive.

But as the situation in Goma and the rest of the region continues to change, we hope the time will come again for gorilla trekking in Congo to be such a safe and accessible adventure for those who want to spend time with awe-inspiring mountain gorillas and their guards, raising money for efforts to conserve one of the most amazing parks Africa has to offer.