PEACE AND SECURITY



En Republique Democratique du Congo, la problematique liee a la Paix constitue actuellement une priorite majeure pour chaque congolais digne de ce nom. Cest alors que linsecurite persistante dans la partie Est cree d`enormes consequences pour les populations civiles. Parmi ces consequences figurent les multiples violations des droits humains, les pillages des ressources, les destruction des ecosystemes naturels, les homicides etc...



Dans cet article, je mattele a la destruction de la reserve de Faune a Okapis, situee a Epulu, en Province Orientale, en Republique Democratique du Congo. La destruction de ce patrimoine de lEtat congolais avait eu lieu en date du 24 juin 2012 par les rebelles du chef milicien Simba alias Morgan.



Selon un article paru dans la revue IBO Jeune Entreprise, Magazine economique Infrastructure et environnement, lediteur a ecrit un article intitule ; Que cache le massacre des Okapis, et la destruction de la Reserve de Faune a Okapi RFO /Epulu , Lauteur de cet article precise que les combattants du chef milicien Morgan ont attaque la reserve des Okapis d`Epulu, en province Orientale, en tuant les gardes mis pour la protection de ce site, et, 15 okapis.



Apres avoir mis les milicienshors detat de nuire sans mettre la main sur leur chef, lon se demande quel etait lobjectif poursuivi par les assaillants en sattaquant a ce patrimoine ecologique.



Comment se sont deroule ces evenements. Notons bien que Ces assaillants et leur chef avaient investi la reserve, ils avaient sequestre les gardes auxquels ils avaient coupe les membres dont ils se sont delecte la chair crue avant de les tuer, et les bruler devant leurs collegues,



Nous precisons que dautres sources concordantes avaient rapportees que les epouses des gardes avaient ete violee et lune delles, femme pygmee avaitete brulee vive. Quelles genre datrocite , Pourquoi les femmes doivent etre traitee ainsi ...
Lauteur de cet article precise encore que lOkapi, animal emblematique rare, listee parmi les especes rares, en danger dextinction, endemique pour la RDC etait donc la cible de ces assaillants. Cet animal qui fqisqit lq fierte de notre pays, attiraient beaucoup les touristes dans le monde qui venaient ladmirer.



De ce bilan macabre sajoute la destruction du materiel scientifique ou encore emporte. Cest ce qui pousse lopinion a se demander ce qui se cachait derriere pareils agissements dune milice qui surgit pour etaler son inqualifiable barbarie.
Nous rappellons ici que la RDC nest pas a la premiere experience de la destruction mechante des especes en danger dextinction pendant les 10 dernieres annees. On se souviendra de la polemique suscitee autour de l`unique rhinoceros blanc du Parc National de la Garamba, de la destruction mechante des hyppopotames dans le parc National de Virunga au Nord Kivu ou encore des gorilles a dos argentes du Parc National de Kauzi Biega.



Nous tenons encore a rappeller que les deux derniers parcs sont declares par lUnesco, des patrimoines mondiaux en voie detre radies a cause des destructions repetitives dont elles sont victimes.



Au chapitre desdites destructions des ecosystemesil a suffit quon decouvre un gisement de petrole quelque part pour que la protection des Ressources Naturelles sot relegue au second rang, nous ajoutons aussi qu`il en est de meme pour les viols systematiques des femmes.



Cest le cas de la destruction de la foret des mangroves en province du Bas Congo suite a la presence de la nappe petroliere au large de Moanda. Il y a maintenant un choix a faire entre le gisement de Diamant et la RFO dEpulu sur lequel elle est etablie.



Voila pourquoi la Recherche de la Paix constitue une priorite en Republique Democratique du Congo.



English translation by PulseWire member Katia



In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), peace-related issues are nowadays a major priority for any true Congolese woman. The persisting lack of security in the Eastern part of the country has tremendous consequences for the civilian population: manslaughter, violations of human rights, looting, destruction of natural ecosystems, etc.



In this article, I want to address the destruction of the Okapi Wildlife Reservation (Réserve de Faune à Okapis, RFO) of Epulu, in the Orientale Province of the DRC. This Congolese heritage was destroyed on June 24, 2012 by Simba, alias Morgan, the head of the militia.



The editor of the IBO Jeune Entreprise, Magazine économique, Infrastructure et Environnement, wrote an article entitled « What’s behind the okapi slaughter and the destruction of the Okapi Wildlife Reservation (RFO) of Epulu? ». The author indicates that when the fighters of Morgan’s militia attacked the reservation, they killed the guards put in charge of protecting the site and slayed 15 okapis.



Once the militia men were restrained, except for the head of the militia who escaped, we wonder what was the goal of the attackers behind the destruction of this ecological heritage?
What happened? The head of the militia and his men invaded the reservation, sequestrated the guards after cutting off their limbs, ate their flesh, killed them and burned them in front of their colleagues.



Other corroborative sources also reported that the spouses of the guards have been raped and one of them, a pygmy woman, was burned alive. What atrocities! Why women have to be treated this way...



The author of the article also indicates that the okapi, an emblematic animal listed as a rare species and threatened with extinction, endemic for the DRC, was then the target of the attackers. This animal, which was a source of pride for our country, attracted a lot of tourists from all over the world.



On top of this gruesome attack, there is also the destruction and theft of scientific material. These lead the public opinion to wonder about the ulterior motives of a militia that suddenly appears to spread this unspeakable barbarity.



This is not the first time that species threatened with extinction were brutally slaughtered in the DRC over the last ten years: we all remember the controversy around the only white rhinoceros of the Garamba National Park, the massacre of hippopotamuses in the Virunga National Park, North of Kivu, or the silverback gorillas of the Kauzi Biega National Park. It is important to note that the last two parks have been designated World Heritage Sites by Unesco but they are now on the verge of being removed from the list due to the repetitive destructions perpetrated against these parks.



In the context of the destructions of the ecosystems, the discovery of just one oil reservoir somewhere was enough to overshadow the protection of natural resources. And the same goes for the mass-scale rape of women.
It is the case of the destruction of the mangroves forest in the Bas Congo Province after an oil deposit has been found near Moanda. A choice must now be made between the diamond deposit and the RFO of Epulu where it was found.



This is why it is a priority to achieve peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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