
Seven villagers were killed on Wednesday in Virunga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the volatile eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Local sources report the men, aged between 20 and 30, entered the park from the village of Karambi to collect charcoal, a vital source of income with limited alternative options.
The bodies were discovered on Friday, bound and bearing machete wounds. Responsibility for the killings remains unclear, but residents point the finger at the M23 rebel group.
The M23 has seized swathes of North Kivu province, including areas bordering the park, with alleged backing from neighboring Rwanda.
The group reportedly prohibits residents under their control from entering Virunga, fearing infiltration by rival militia.
This restriction further restricts villagers’ already limited sources of income.
The Congolese government’s response has been complex.
They have called upon previously fought local armed groups, now referred to as “patriots,” to assist in driving out the M23 rebels.
This incident underscores the ongoing violence plaguing the region for decades, dating back to regional wars in the 1990s.
Virunga National Park, established in 1925 and a haven for endangered mountain gorillas, has tragically become entangled in the ongoing conflict.
The park’s rich fauna and landscapes are overshadowed by the presence of armed groups, jeopardizing not only human lives but also the vital ecological balance of the region.