A documentary film showcased at the Traverse City Film Festival profiles a group of park rangers from Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition to managing the largest national park in Africa, the rangers there are fighting a constant battle against poachers, illegal oil drilling and decades of bloody human conflict in the area.
The Traverse City nonprofit group On the Ground brought the park’s Chief Warden Emmanuel De Merode to town in advance of the screening.
Civil War
On the surface, De Merode may seem an unusual choice to head the oldest national park in the world outside of Yellowstone. The 44-year-old is descended from Belgian royalty but was born in North Africa and grew up in Kenya. When he was 22, he moved to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he took employment with the country’s national park system.
In 2008, the Congolese government appointed him to manage Virunga National Park, Africa’s oldest park. He admits that it was unusual for a foreigner to be named to such a high position.
Over 140 of our staff have been killed.
“By taking on that function, you have judicial powers in a very complicated situation … of civil war,” said De Merode. “So it did raise a few eyebrows at the time.”
De Merode soon began using his power as chief warden of Virunga to combat the many problems that had been plaguing the park for years. Chief among those problems was a bloody human conflict that had been raging for two decades.
“It was one of the more violent periods in a succession of wars that had been taking place in eastern Congo,” said De Merode. “My staff … have paid the price during that period. Over 140 of our staff have been killed.”
The 'Bravest Team Imaginable'
De Merode is in Traverse City this week for a pair of showings of the documentary film “Virunga,” directed by Orlando Van Einsiedel. The film was shot in the park over a period of two years, covering the recent struggles of De Merode and his team of rangers.
When he took the job as chief warden, De Merode improved conditions for the rangers, which he calls “the bravest team of men imaginable.” He improved training, increased pay and built a number of community programs aimed at improving the local economy.
A few months ago, De Merode was pleased that his efforts were going relatively well. Morale was high among the park rangers, the local agriculture industry – particularly coffee bean farming in the Kiva region – was seeing success and the gorilla population in the park was rebounding.
But on the morning of April 15th, as he was driving in his car to park headquarters, De Merode was ambushed by a group of gunman who opened fire on his vehicle. He was shot a total of five times.
Local residents who witnessed the attack took him to a hospital, where he went into surgery and eventually recovered. An investigation into the attack – and who might have been behind it – is ongoing.
Just three months later, De Merode is physically well and in good spirits. He says he had no trouble returning to work, once he was able, and was happy to return to his team of park rangers.
“They’ve really rallied around me,” he said. “They sleep outside my tent (and) won’t leave me alone for a second. (It’s) slightly suffocating at times but incredibly touching and very comforting for me.”
New Crisis
These days, De Merode and his rangers are fighting a new crisis – illegal oil drilling. He says the “pillaging” of the Congo’s natural resources – particularly oil – is primarily responsible for the last twenty years of bloodshed in the country. About four years ago, that problem came to Virunga National Park.
The film “Virunga” premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April, where it was nominated for the “Best Documentary Feature” prize.
Tonight at 5 p.m., De Merode will be speaking at an event at The Box in Traverse City. That event is sponsored by On the Ground, a local non-profit group that works to build health care clinics, sustainable water projects and schools in coffee growing countries.
Chris Treter of On the Ground says showcasing “Virunga” and bringing De Merode to Michigan fit their mission perfectly. On the Ground, a local nonprofit group that works to build health care clinics, sustainable water projects and schools in coffee growing countries, sponsored a public discussion with De Merode Thursday evening.
Treter says On the Ground also has plans to hold an ultra-marathon expedition across the Democratic Republic of the Congo next May, in an effort to bring attention to the plight of women in the region.