Director Virunga National Park shot
Emmanuel de Mérode, director of Virunga National Park in DR Congo, was shot on Tuesday in an ambush on the road from Goma to Rumangabo. He is in serious but stable condition. No further details are available on the attack at the present time.
Photo: IUCN NL
The attack comes two days before the documentary about Virunga and De Mérode premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. The film, produced with support of IUCN NL, is selected to compete in the World Documentary Competition.
Virunga, home to the world's last mountain gorillas, is situated in the East of DR Congo where rebel groups have been fighting for years. This makes Virunga one of the most dangerous nature reserves in the world. Since the early nineties, more than 150 park rangers have died while protecting the park.
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