Renforcement de la capacité de l’ICCN à la gestion et la résolution des conflits lies aux ressources naturelles dans le Parc National des Virunga

This report documents a three-day workshop held from December 5 to 7, 2006, in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) to manage and resolve conflicts related to natural resources within Virunga National Park. Facilitated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and WWF, the event focused on conflict analysis tools, the identification of primary drivers of conflict in the park, and the development of strategic intervention plans.

• The workshop identified three primary conflicts within Virunga National Park: the lack of revenue sharing, deforestation and encroachment, and the involvement of military personnel in illegal activities.
• Illegal human occupation of the park is extensive, with the South Sector (Kilolirwe) being the most invaded, covering 10,200 hectares with a population of 60,000 people. Other significant occupations include Mavivi in the North Sector (19,000 hectares, 25,000 people) and the West Coast (12,000 hectares, 30,000 people).
• A critical challenge for park management is that approximately 70% of ICCN agents, including conservators and guards, are involved in illegal occupations of park land.
• Aerial mapping conducted by WCS using satellite imagery and ENSO MOSAIC software identified specific scales of illegal activity: 60 km² of crops, 19 km² of fuelwood extraction, 18 km² of active fires, and 4,000 isolated houses.
• External conflicts are driven by community access to resources (wood, fish, meat), lack of revenue sharing, and crop destruction by wildlife. Internal ICCN conflicts stem from historical land alienation, a reliance on repression for surveillance, and a lack of integrated land-use planning.
• The workshop prioritized three optimal strategies for intervention: creating a collaboration framework, reorganizing the Lake Edward fisheries, and identifying mechanisms for revenue sharing.
• The report suggests that the 'Community Conservation Committees' (CCC) model used in Kahuzi Biega National Park (PNKB) could be adapted for Virunga. This model involves local leaders as partners in conservation and development to reduce pressure on the park.
• The involvement of the military in illegal activities is linked to a lack of motivation, the search for financial gain, and complicity with park guards and customary chiefs.

APA

Kujirakwinja, D., & Matunguru, J. (2009). Renforcement de la capacité de l’ICCN à la gestion et la résolution des conflits lies aux ressources naturelles dans le Parc National des Virunga. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/conflict_virunga.pdf

Chicago

Kujirakwinja, Deo, and Joseph Matunguru. Renforcement de la capacité de l’ICCN à la gestion et la résolution des conflits lies aux ressources naturelles dans le Parc National des Virunga. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/conflict_virunga.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kujirakwinja |first1=Deo |last2=Matunguru |first2=Joseph |title=Renforcement de la capacité de l’ICCN à la gestion et la résolution des conflits lies aux ressources naturelles dans le Parc National des Virunga |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/conflict_virunga.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kujirakwinja2009renforcement, author = {Kujirakwinja, Deo and Matunguru, Joseph}, title = {{Renforcement de la capacité de l’ICCN à la gestion et la résolution des conflits lies aux ressources naturelles dans le Parc National des Virunga}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/conflict_virunga.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }