Kahuzi-Biega denies rangers' involvement in capture of Bitale
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Actualité.cd
Kahuzi-Biega National Park denies that its rangers took part alongside the FRN in the capture of Bitale. The park cites the 2014 nature conservation law, which guarantees their neutrality.
The management of Kahuzi-Biega National Park (PNKB) denies that its rangers supported the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) rebellion during the capture of Bitale on Saturday 7 November, in Kalehe territory, South Kivu. In a statement published on Monday 9 November, the park said its agents take part in no clashes and support no side in the conflict.
The PNKB cites Article 42 of Law No. 14/003 of 11 February 2014 on nature conservation, which grants its rangers legal non-belligerent status, and Article 44 of the same law, which enshrines the neutrality of protected areas, including during armed conflict. Their mission remains exclusively devoted to monitoring and protecting natural heritage, the park said, adding that allegations circulated online risk compromising the safety of its agents and exposing them to reprisals.
The clarification comes as FRN fighters advance in Kalehe territory. After Kalonge and Bitale on Saturday 7 November, they took control of Bulambika on Sunday 8 November, after the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), backed by Wazalendo militias. This advance is raising concerns over the road linking Bukavu to Hombo via National Road No. 3.
The FRN had already taken Kalonge and Bitale on 7 November, followed by Bulambika on 8 November, according to our previous reports.
