Does a similar fate wait the Congo River Basin?
“Smugglers and poachers are hurting the national economy. All the products of their activities are sold to foreigners who make huge profits,” Henri Djombo, the Republic of Congo minister for the economy, forests and the environment, said. Poaching can only prevent partners from investing in tourism, Djombo added. Poaching often targets both land and marine animals, especially turtles. It has taken on worrying proportions in the past 10 years because of the circulation of small arms in ROC, DRC and CAR, which have experienced repeated civil wars. The other scourge that constitutes a real danger is the Ebola virus, even if it is contained to the border between ROC and Gabon. The source of the virus is not yet known. Indications gathered from the field by Magdalena Bermejo, a Spanish primatologist, show that it is spreading to the biggest reserve in central Africa, the Odzala Park in northern ROC. The park is under the protection of the Forest Ecosystems of Central Africa (ECOFAC, a proje
