Between Wilderness and War: The Hidden Cost of Protecting Upemba
- Communication
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Contributor: Christine Lain, Director & Site Manager
It’s hard to think that conservation in #Upemba and in the #DRC is reaching a point of no return. Nowadays, we are not able to post pictures of our team without having to think about their safety and the possible consequences for them and for the Park.
Team members fear for their security and their lives if they continue doing their work as they should. Others need to be relocated with their families because of death threats, and some continue to have recurrent dreams about the deaths of their colleagues. All of that because our mission is to protect some of the last remaining wilderness in Africa and in the world, not for us, not for our own selfish interests, but for the preservation of the natural heritage of one country, of humanity, and of future generations.
I remember a certain point, while working in conservation in and around Virunga, when we had to explain ourselves regarding the militarization of conservation. In a region with more than 20 armed groups, recurrent attacks against rangers, and the highest death toll of rangers in a single region, it has become one of the deadliest jobs in the world. I’m always surprised by how we never hear from all these academics and researchers after this kind of attack, after innocent people are killed in the name of conservation. We are probably on the wrong side of “their” story.
That is when the words of my ICCN law enforcement commander take on an even greater meaning: “Nous les Ecogardes nous avons aussi le droit à la vie.” We rangers also have the right to live. Yes, they do, and they should also be better protected in the face of these increasing threats.
What does that exactly mean? Is conservation in the DRC only for armed people? Do we have to remove all civilian staff and consider that we are operating in a war zone? And if not, are rangers simply expected to risk their lives in front of all these new threats and armed groups? That if they are not able to take bullets for others, they have failed their mission, they are useless, and they cannot be trusted?
Is that what conservation has become in regions like Upemba?
Is a good ranger someone who can stay firm in front of danger, in front of a machine gun, when you have a 50% chance (or less) that your weapon will respond as expected? When you are paid less than 200 USD per month, below the minimum expected for an entry-level field ranger? Organizations like the International Ranger Federation (IRF) and the Game Rangers' Association of Africa (GRAA) remind us constantly that "Rangers are essential planetary health workers. They are not combatants. Nature is a neutral space that does not take sides, and those working to protect these places must be treated with respect and dignity, with their rights safeguarded."
I’m sure that many of you reading this post have received one day per diems much higher than that. I wonder how many of you would risk your lives, and the future of your families, for that amount.
So many questions, and so many different answers depending on the people you talk to and who you are.
Some will tell you that you can probably only do this job if you have a military background, if you know what it means to face real danger and killing machines, if you have been trained repeatedly to suppress two of the three normal human reactions in front of danger: freezing or running away.
Others will strongly advise you not to return, to stay somewhere safe. You are an expat; these are not your risks to take. A few will consider the consequences: if you stay, what will be the impact for the park, for conservation?
But very few will look at what it means for our people, for our team, for what we started, and for what we need to leave in a better place.
Yes, we will have to militarize more aspects of our work (and to the researchers who think they know better, please feel free to contact me). We will have to strengthen security, consolidate our defense plans, and train rangers for this new level of threat. But this is the easy part of our job.
It means bringing the right financial and human resources to the table. It also means having good collaboration and trusted relationships with the security forces. Because, let’s be honest, fighting armed and separatist groups has nothing to do with conservation or with rangers.
What it really means for our team and our rangers is learning to trust each other again. And when I say trust each other, it is a two-way process. We need to understand that “their perceived failure” is also ours. We have failed them. We are the ones who need to create the right conditions for them to do the work expected of them.
And when we increase the workload, when we add security responsibilities to conservation, when the risks of them not returning to their families become higher, when we ask them to be capable of killing people in self-defense, we should at least have the decency to pay them monthly bonuses worth more than the cost of one night in an average hotel.
Today, protecting the Upemba team and the Park starts with increasing our understanding of each other. It is only with this spirit and unity that we will be able to become more resilient. Jérôme de Hemptinne argues, the protection of rangers in conflict zones should be considered within the broader framework of safeguarding essential service providers during armed conflict. Given their critical role in preserving biodiversity, maintaining ecosystem services, and supporting the well-being and resilience of local communities, extending to rangers the same protective measures afforded to other essential service providers is both a humanitarian and environmental imperative. Recognizing and strengthening their protection would not only enhance ranger safety but also help ensure the continuity of the ecological functions upon which both nature and human populations depend.
Please help us improve the well-being of rangers to the same level as other first service providers. Let’s be fair. Let’s start at the beginning and do things right.
You want exceptional rangers? Start treating them as such.
You can donate here:
You can read more here:
Jérôme de Hemptinne, 'Safeguarding Rangers in Conflict Zones: Bridging Humanitarian and Environmental Law' (2026) International Review of the Red Cross 1.
Images: Hugh C. Kinsella
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