Kahuzi-Biega National Park

• Presence of armed groups, lack of security and political instability rendering a large part of the property inaccessible to the guards
• Attribution of mining permits inside the property (issue resolved)
• Poaching by armed military groups
• Bush meat hunting
• Villages in the ecological corridor between the highland and lowland sectors of the park
• Illegal mining and deforestation

• Adverse refugee impact
• Intermittent presence of armed militias and settlers at the property
• Increased poaching
• Deforestation 

A draft was developed during the 2017 Reactive Monitoring mission (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/137/documents), but the biological indicators still need to be quantified based on the results of a census of large mammals available at late 2018.

Adopted in 2017, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6954

Adopted in 2017, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6954

Previous Committee Decisions  see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/137/documents/

Total amount granted: USD 1,003,900 from the United Nations Foundation (UNF), and the Governments of Italy and Belgium, and by the Rapid Response Facility (RRF), USD 300,000 from the Government of Norway (2021-2022)

On 8 April 2022, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/137/documents/ and reporting the following:

• Ongoing collaboration between the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN), the armed forces of the DRC (FARDC), state services and local population has resulted in a positive lull in insecurity. From 2018-2021, four warlords and their accomplices were arrested and 50 of the 54 armed groups operating in and around the property evacuated. The remaining four are in the process of joining the disarmament programme;
• In 2021, no artisanal mining sites were active in the property. Of the 24 mining sites identified, 19 were abandoned and 5 active sites were closed during surveillance patrols;
• One case of baby chimpanzee trafficking was observed in the Kasese sector. The trafficker was arrested and transferred to the legal authorities. Activities to strengthen measures to combat wildlife trafficking included strengthening intelligence teams to record real time information on poaching and great ape trafficking, community awareness raising on conservation laws and regulations, and capacity building. With the relative lull in the property,, an increase in the gorilla population in the high-altitude sector was recorded from 168 individuals in 2020 to 174 in 2021;
• Surveys of 61% of the property show significant populations of key species remain present in the property, with estimates for gorillas (1,775 individuals) and chimpanzees (2,987 individuals);
• In 2021, anti-poaching and law enforcement efforts included 2,099 patrols covering 10,034 km, three joint ICCN-PNKB/FARDC patrols at high altitude (Tshivanga sector) aimed at removing all armed groups in the Lemera-Katasomwa axis, and arrest, prosecution and sentencing of poachers and rebels;
• Capacity building for eco-guards continued on matters including human rights and field data collection, and the deployment of well-equipped teams in all stations of the property;
• A rehabilitation plan has been developed for the ecological corridor between the highland and lowland sectors of the property, including an evaluation system with indicators and a proposed budget. Actions to address encroachment include the regular involvement of government and local communities including the Batwa in decision-making meetings, as well as capacity building, the continuation of participatory demarcation of park boundaries, strengthening surveillance patrols, law enforcement, and strengthening of sensitization and awareness-raising activities for local communities;
• In 2021, surveillance patrols covered 61% of the property, meeting the minimum 60% area threshold in the corrective measures;
• Support for the socio-economic development of local communities included farming, microcredit and agriculture, but could only be implemented around the highland sector due to funding limitations;
• Actions to implement the 2019 Bukavu Dialogue with the indigenous Batwa community included increased support for schooling; the identification, mapping and securing of land for the Batwa; mapping of villages bordering the property; establishment of a consultation framework between IPs, ICCN, state services, local NGOs, traditional chiefs and local leaders to monitor the implementation of the Dialogue roadmap; COVID-19 related food support; and valorization of Batwa culture;
• The participatory demarcation of the boundaries was carried out in Kasirusiru-Tshivanga at the highland sector. An International Assistance grant from the World Heritage Fund was provided to map the villages inside the Nzovu and Mumbili sectors in low altitude to evaluate the human presence in these sectors of the property;
• Regarding sustainable financing, a study is in progress on the valuation of ecosystem services, as well as strengthening marketing of the property to engage new donors and partners.

In April 2022, the World Heritage Centre received two third-party reports by NGO Minority Rights Group (MRG) regarding alleged human rights abuses towards the Batwa community including by ICCN and FARDC staff. On 22 April 2022, the World Heritage Centre transmitted the information to the State Party. On 1 June 2022, the State Party transmitted a summary report of findings and recommendations of a “Commission of Inquiry into alleged violations by ICCN staff at Kahuzi-Biega National Park” established by the ICCN Director General in response to the allegations and composed of technical ICCN staff, coordinated by the Director in charge of human rights, key conservation partners in South Kivu, the principal author of the MRG report, and an independent human rights expert responsible for ensuring that the Commission's work complied with human rights standards. The report conclusions document a number of incidents but does not confirm the alleged systematic use of violence towards the indigenous Batwa.

In May 2023, the World Heritage Centre received an information regarding the death of an ecoguard in an armed confrontation in the property.

It is encouraging that the on-going collaboration between ICCN, FARDC and local population and authorities is reported to have maintained the lull in the security situation, that the majority of armed groups operating in or around the property have been removed and that surveillance coverage has again met the 60% area threshold of the corrective measures. The on-going patrol coverage and closure of remaining active artisanal mining sites constitutes a positive step towards effectively managing the mining threat in the property in the longer term. The delineation of the property boundaries has continued, although no detailed information is provided to evaluate to what extent this corrective measure has been completed.

Regarding efforts to address encroachment, the development of a rehabilitation plan for the ecological corridor following its evacuation in recent years is positive. Whilst no information regarding the impacts of encroachment on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property was provided, it is recommended that the rehabilitation plan be finalised and implemented as soon as possible in full consultation with relevant stakeholders. The reported workshops, capacity building and regular involvement of all relevant stakeholders in government processes are also noted. Positive progress continues and all efforts should be continued to complete the corrective measures.. Whilst noting the brief update of wildlife data, it is recalled that the wildlife inventory data completed in 2018 is crucial for the evaluation of the OUV of the property and to finalize the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR). Therefore, recalling Decisions 42 COM 7A.48, 43 COM 7A.8 and 44 COM 7A.43, the Committee should request the State Party to prepare DSOCR indicators based on this information, in order to finalize the DSOCR based on the draft proposed by the 2017 mission as soon as possible, and set out the actions needed to achieve the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger. It is important to make clear that the quoted population number for Grauer’s gorilla remains extremely low, as the population was estimated to be close to 10,000 individuals before the inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The allegations of human rights abuses by ICCN staff and FARDC soldiers towards indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLC) during law enforcement operations are of utmost concern despite the reported training of rangers on human rights.

The World Heritage Centre and IUCN also note the recommendations of the “Commission of Inquiry into alleged violations by ICCN staff at Kahuzi-Biega National Park”, including recommendation at site level, the need to identify and sanction the perpetrators of the confirmed violent incidents, to establish a joint and independent human rights monitoring and protection unit in the property, to ensure a full application of human rights and strengthen the cooperation with civil society organisations working on human rights, the organizations of indigenous communities as well as local authorities, and at the level of ICCN to develop clearer rules of engagement for surveillance operations and guidance on the application and enforcement of human rights. In this regard, Decision 44 COM 7A.46 is also recalled, and it is recommended the State Party, together with its donors and implementation partners, be requested to urgently implement strong and effective measures to ensure that the rights of IPLCs are fully respected in all management decisions. This includes the establishment and implementation of a code of conduct, provision of training on human rights issues for all patrol units including appropriate law enforcement techniques regarding the use of force and firearms, and to ensure law enforcement operations are conducted in a way that fully respects the rights of IPLCs in line with relevant international norms and supported by fully transparent governance and effective procedures to ensure implementation and accountability. See also the DRC General Decision under Item 7A.9.

The reported progress in implementing the recommendations of the 2019 Bukavu Dialogue to address relations with the Batwa indigenous communities is encouraging. However, it is noted that serious concerns continue to be raised by IPLCs, including by the Batwa regarding a lack of consultation on the aforementioned Commission and requesting the urgent establishment of a joint commission to address land allocation. The implementation should therefore remain a matter of priority.

It is recommended that the Committee retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger and continue the application of the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism.