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FILE - In this Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008 file photo, park
rangers loyal to the CNDP (National Congress for the Defence of the
People) make their way with a group of visitors through the Virunga
national park, near the Uganda border in eastern Congo. Authorities in
Congo say five park rangers and a driver have been killed in an attack
at the Virunga National Park. The park, which is home to critically
endangered mountain gorillas, confirmed the ambush Monday, April 9, 2018
in a statement. While there was no immediately claim of responsibility,
suspicion immediately fell on militia groups that are active in and
around the famed park.(AP Photo/Jerome Delay, file)
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Associated Press
KINSHASA, Congo
Authorities in Congo say five park rangers and a driver have been killed in an attack at the Virunga National Park.
The park, which is home to critically endangered mountain gorillas, confirmed the ambush Monday in a statement. It said a sixth ranger was wounded.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. However, suspicion immediately fell on militia groups that are active in and around the famed wildlife park. Virunga, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is home to about one-fourth of the remaining mountain gorillas in the wild.
The gorillas are poaching targets and their habitat is being destroyed by deforestation in part to supply charcoal. Human rights groups say armed groups are controlling the industry to support a rebellion.
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