“IT
IS NECESSARY ONLY, FOR THE GOOD MAN TO DO NOTHING
FOR EVIL TO TRIUMPH
– Edmund Burke 1729-1797 |
| SEA – are
the environmental agency behind the Green Tourism
Business Scheme in the UK, Trees 4 Africa, and
the European VISIT initiative has today awarded
Save the Rhino with the Agency’s first Black
Flag award. |
|
| SAVE
THE RHINO WINS BLACK FLAG AWARD |
BLACKFLAG
001 - JAN 2006 |
| FOR: |
| MISMANAGEMENT
OF FUNDING AND CAMPAIGNING, MISINFORMATION AND
THE THEFT OF GOODWILL- NOT FUNDING THE WORK DONE
BY AFRICAN PARKS FOUNDATION IN GARAMBA WHICH LOST
12 RANGERS WHILST PROTECTING THIS WILDLIFE IN NOVEMBER
2005 |
|
| Save
the Rhino collected funds through the Travel Africa
magazine last year and through a targeted campaign
partly sponsored by Travel Africa magazine linked
to a special subscription rate. Green Business
UK helped promote the magazine Travel Africa over
this period because of our role in the G8 summit
held in one of our businesses, our connections
with the National Park and the need to focus efforts
on practical assistance to Africa. |
| The
International Rhino Foundation were the agency
looking after the park at that time and we are
not sure if any funds collected by Save the Rhino
were given to this organisation. Through personal
communications with staff in their organisation
we were told funding was being used in India, and
on other projects. |
| In
the recent annual report Save the Rhino highlight
that they are withdrawing support for Garamba highlighting
the animals were unprotected and that they hope
the animals will survive when the park is actually
being managed by the African Parks Foundation and
the animals are being protected by a human shield
of extremely brave Rangers and who lost 12 of their
number defending the remaining animals from the
Lords Resistance Army. |
| In
December the travel Africa magazine reported that
in March 2005 Save the Rhino left the park when
they have not being doing any protection work there.
In August 2005 4 rhinos were observed this is surely
a case for extreme efforts not for withdrawal. |
| Save
the Rhino work with the annual “Douglas Adams
memorial lecture” which collects funds and
which was set up because of Douglas Adams trip
to see these animals as part of the “last
chance to see” radio 4 series back in 1989. |
| “I
met Douglas Adams in Congo in 1989 and revisited
the site in 1994 when the park was also under threat
(see attached my Africa story) and I think it is
a disgrace that charities should operate in this
way” said Jon Proctor the Managing Director
of the Agency. |
| “We
have issued this award because as green tourism
auditors we are focused on making a positive difference
to the planet.” In general our audits are
focused businesses making positive contributions
to a better more sustainable society. However we
have felt forced to issue this award on this Charity
due to their activities and misinformation. This
is the first black flag award we have issued and
will only issue such awards in extreme circumstances.” |
| “The
heart of darkness is not in Africa but in the hearts
of people who would operate so corruptly” said Jon Proctor. “Save the rhino have a
clear role to save the rhino. That they would try
to export 5 rhinos from the park and then announce
that the 10 remaining are an unviable population
is a disgrace. I applaud Congolese Government for
trying to preserve their natural assets and the
local communities that are giving their lives to
protect their wonderful heritage. This site is
a world heritage site because of the Rhino’s
in the park and the animals should be preserved
in their home. It is time to see this vision realised.” |
| International
Rhino Foundation Link |
Here
is the IRF press release:
African Parks Foundation (APF) will assume management
of Garamba National Park under a 5-year agreement
with the Government of the Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC). APF will provide roughly $1.25
million per year for the program. This move is
the latest attempt and probably last resort in
a series of efforts over the last decade to try
to save the Northern White Rhino (NWR) from extinction.
For most of that period, IRF was a major partner
in those efforts until rampant poaching and civil
disorder overpowered existing human and financial
resources and reduced the NWR to an estimated 5
to 10 rhino. A survey in August 2005 located only
4 rhino. |
LRA
Kill Congo Game Rangers
New Vision (Kampala)
November 3, 2005 |
THE
Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, who in mid-September
crossed
from southern Sudan to the DR Congo, have in their
first attack on the
local population killed 12 game rangers of the
Garamba National Park. |
Arua-based
UPDF spokesman Capt. Anech Mubangizi said the rangers
were
killed last Monday, during a battle with the rebels,
whom they had
pursued for killing an elephant in the park on
the Sudan-Congo border.
"
They (rangers) suspected that the elephant had
been killed by poachers.
Disregarding earlier reports that these were rebels,
they attacked and
unfortunately 12 rangers were shot dead in the
crossfire," Anech said.
It was difficult to establish whether the rebels
had suffered any
causality. |
The
over 200 rebels suspected to be under the command
of LRA deputy
chief Vincent Otti, are reported to have resorted
to feasting on the
game after failing to convince the local population
to sell them food.
It has also been hard for them to get food from
across the Sudan border
due to presence of a joint SPLA and UPDF force.
This was the third elephant the rebels had killed
in the park, where
they acquired sanctuary. |
