Staff Evacuated from DRC

Paul Thomson November 4, 2008

About the Author

Paul Thomson worked with African Wildlife Foundation in Nairobi for a year before moving to Washington D.C. Paul has worked at the Madrid Aquarium and at the Marine Mammal Center in the Marin Headlands outside San Francisco. He was born in New Zealand but grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Paul… More

Staff of the International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP) have been evacuated from DR Congo, as things remain tense between the Congolese army and rebel militia.

Staff were moved from the office in Goma across the border to the town of Gisenyi in Rwanda.

From IGCP's Jamie in Rwanda:

"Eugene [Rutagarama - the IGCP Director] organized an emergency trip on friday to see our staff, who we evacuated over the border to Gisenyi.

Everyone got out safely, and now our staff and their families are all living in a rented house in Gisenyi.  They are doing fine, and should be there temporarily until Goma is safe again.

Things are calm in Goma at the moment while the international community intercedes and tries
to decide what to do."

Not sure what the fighting is all about? Here's a good Q & A on the DR Congo conflict: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3075537.stm