Guerrillas and Gorillas in the Congo

I was listening to National Public Radio this morning. A reporter was interviewing National Geographic photographers Michael Nichols and Brent Stirton . They had been down to Virunga National Park(central Africa) to get a story on the murder of 6 silver back mountain gorillas. What they discovered was...well...here are some disturbing facts : 

First of all, Virunga National Park has been a fixture on the UN's list of the most endangered places...the 1994 genocide in nearby Rwanda--the killing of more than 800,000 Tutsi people-two wars in the Vongo, in 1996-97 and 1998-2003, which left over 5 million people dead, which is more than any conflict since WWII....

The reporter asked the photographer Nichols how he felt, when after all these murders, his story of 6 gorillas gets world wide interest. He said he felt very surreal, but that WHATEVER it takes to put this place on the world view map is better than the past 10 years of neglect.

 And now there is a huge guerrilla war going on over the 30 million dollar a year charcoal industry. 

 This story will be on the National Geographic channel July 1st at 7pm. 

  

                                                                                         Congolese Tutsi Lautent Nkunda, likes to be called the "chairman"...which can be translated into ASSHOLE in most languages. He is fighting the Hutu militia and the Congolese army. He is also the suspect for the gorilla murders. Nkunda claims that more of these murders will probably happen if he doesn't get what he wants. I say give the baby his bottle. Over the head like blunt trauma... that is...

-More Pics-

U.s