Searching for Bonobo in Congo

Anarchy and the Absurd in Central Congo – 3

May 31, 2011 – 12:23 am

The Major meets the Prophet

The Prophet Moses is holding his trademark cross, new testament and hankie. The fellow on his right is his “son”, Lumumba. On the other side, and looking a bit doubtful, are Major Guy and Maurice.

The Major and Maurice had a second stop to make on their way to Opala, the “holy village” of Yakoko, where the prophet Moses, self-professed “anointed one”, lives among 15,000 disciples. The Major and Maurice were not making a pilgrimage, rather they were trying to find out whether or not the “cross of death” in front of Ephrem’s door in Obenge was really put there on behalf of the prophet. It was apparently a missionary for this messiah, Moses, who traced the cross in front of our TL2 compound.

A disciple from Equateur recognized Maurice. He is standing in front of the prophet’s outdoor throne.

In Yakoko, Maurice, who has been working with us for more than 5 years and who comes originally from Equateur province, was immediately recognized by one of the disciples, also from Equateur province. He was of another Congolese sect, the Kitawalists, whom Moses is trying to recruit — along with the followers of Patrice Lumumba – to his great cause. What is his cause??

Maurice and Guy asked just that, and this is what the prophet told them. “Fight against all un-true religions that come from abroad: Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam and Jehovah’s Witnesses”.

The prophet holds forth with a pulpit vigor.

Actually the prophet’s “true” religion seems to have gleaned a bit from his un-true antecedents. The sign at the entrance to Yawende has Christian symbolism and biblical quotes. My Jerusalem Bible gives Luke 3:2, one of the cited verses, as “And the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily shape, like a dove. And a voice came from Heaven, You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.” OK.

And the other sign at the entrance to Yakoko says this:
“From the entrance of the Belgians in 1881 until 1921 = 40 years
Kibangu (founder of a Congolese church) from 1921 to 1961 = 40 years
After Lumumba = 40 years: 1961-2001, then Lord Olumbu Christ in Opala/Yakoko”
The Prophet got his calling and started preaching at midnight – January 1st, 2001. Forty is clearly a spiritual number.

Signs at the entrance to Yakoko.

“All armies celestial and terrestrial obey me”, he told Major Guy and Maurice. Despite this he has not gotten an audience with the governor and is thought by the Provincial Administration to be a threat –an unsavory political alternative. The Prophet, however, eschews any political ambitions – publicly at least.

Yakoko is between Kisangani and Opala, in the Territory of Opala.

The Major and Maurice also found this out: The Prophet goes by the full name “Moses, Liberator, Patrice Lumumba, Christ, Olumbu, Living God”. Olumbu was apparently his given name. He has 80 wives and increasing. They take turns, one each night with the Liberator. The little girls stay with their parents until maturity and then start taking their turn. (In our modern world, this at least seems like typical political logic). Forbid anyone to touch one of the Liberator’s wives. A story Maurice learned on the side from his Kitawalist “buddy” was that the “son” of Lumumba, publicly always at the Prophet’s side, was once found in a most compromising situation with one of the wives. He received a serious flogging, and then was forgiven. The Liberator apparently is forgiving, benevolent, redeeming.

The prophet gives a benediction with Lumumba, as always, by his side.

But from the prophet himself, were Maurice and Major Guy getting the truth? He assured them that he would never do anything illegal. How could he as the living Christ? But he did tell them that all sorts of people are amongst his followers: politicians, deserters and bandits. That at least is a truth. Perhaps spiritual enlightenment comes before moral conversion?

Among the followers are boy soldiers, part of the prophet’s 500 strong force for spiritual liberation.

The Major and Maurice continue towards Opala without enlightenment. How much was the Prophet involved with the bandits moving into the TL2 region? Was he really trying to form a coalition with the criminal Thoms?

Maurice in frustration sent this message “Moses talks like a fool. He is incoherent and makes no sense.”

Not answers perhaps, but here is some evidence later found in the abandoned backpack of the bandit, Jacques:

An official-looking mission order from Yakoko proclaiming that the “outlaws” are “evangelists”.

Old medicine bottles filled with holy water and letters including one from the Prophet to Colonel Thoms were in the backpack.

It was Jacques who drew the cross that was a death threat to Ephrem and all TL2 workers in Obenge. It does indeed seem that moral conversion is slower than spiritual adherence, or perhaps there is nothing much spiritual about the adherence?

For many – spiritual adherence is fun. Below is part of the prophet’s flock dancing their enlightenment in Yawende.

By Terese Hart | Posted in Law and Order | Comments (5)

Anarchy and the Absurd in Central Congo – 2

May 20, 2011 – 3:44 am

Part 2 – Journal from the Lawless Lomami

John talking with fishermen in one of the tiny fishing camps along the Lomami River.

OCTOBER 2010: John made a first census of fishing camps on a dugout trip down the Lomami. Having reached the north end of the future park, in a tiny river-bank village, he encountered Colonel Thoms, ex-Maimai, newly escaped convict, elephant poacher and rapist heading the other direction – south and upstream.

Colonel Thom’s domain is on the west bank of the Lomami River.

NOVEMBER 2010: Colonel Thom’s paddled back up the Lomami to his fiefdom among the Balanga on the west bank of the Lomami.

FEBRUARY 2011: Our largest dugout loaded with camp supplies made its way from Kisangani to Camp Katopa. Maga, superb and charming informant, made enquiries about Thoms in the fishing camps along the way. Upstream from Kakonga (see map) he wrote this:
“…a woman called Mami told me that Thoms came to Kakongo to hunt in the park for ten days. He smoked his monkey-meat and sent it with his brother, Délos, to sell in Kindu. Thoms returned to ‘his place’ and hideout at Losengo.” (Losengo is a tiny village 150 km west of the Lomami River inside the buffer-zone Reserve).

Colonel Thom’s brother, Délos, is almost as shadowy as he is, and certainly as shady.

16 MARCH 2010 : The Territory Administrator of Katako Kombe (Kasai Province, west of the Lomami River) calls a meeting of three groups, (1) Chief Lohata of the Arabisés, (2) the chief of the sector Watambola Nord where the Balanga, ethnic group of Colonel Thoms , are numerous and (3) our project, TL2. We sent Salumu Madimba. The reason for the meeting: the Balanga and particularly a group led by an ex-MaiMai, Lomanga, want to fight the Arabisés who they accuse of having sold the forest to us, project TL2. Apparently they expect Colonel Thoms to come lead them. The meeting called by the Administrator disperses the tension and we send a team to meet with Lomamga.

We sent Dino (smiling in foreground) to talk with Lomanga (sitting astride the TL2 motorbike).

Mid MARCH 2010 : Ephrem, based at our northern camp on the Lomami, Obenge, gets a death threat from a group of outlaw evangelists who say they are on their way to meet Colonel Thoms, to recruit him to their cause.

Late MARCH 2011: John moves down the Lomami to show support for Ephrem at Obenge and to make a second census of fishing camps along the way. We hope to figure out how to “license” fishing camps in a way that will assure they don’t become an anarchistic element in the park. John found hunters camped in two of them, a bad sign.

John with a fishing-family explaining how they can work with the park to help keep out hunting or permanent settlement.

John’s notes:
“After I passed Bene Kamba I planned to visit a small natural opening, Parc Hippo, near a fishing camp. Fishermen first showed it to me in October 2010. The clearing is a short walk from the river. A pair of hippos and small group of buffalo frequented the opening. Parrots descended to the exposed mud flats every day to eat the soil. The fishermen left the site undisturbed, focused on fishing.

When we landed almost twenty people, a huge crowd for a fishing camp, came to our dugout. Maga and Mwinyi jumped ashore and moved up to the camp. There was a parrot hunter with over 50 birds in stick cages.

John questioning the main parrot hunter.

I asked to meet the lead trapper and told him that all parrot trapping was illegal in Maniema Province. The trapper produced an export permit for a Singapore-based pet company dated July 2010. I explained that was not an authorization to capture, and certainly not where it is illegal. He became defensive: “How can I expect to hold an export permit if I can’t get birds!?”

He had started filling the cages.

Our project has no authorization to make arrests, or seize birds. There were also hunters and two 12 caliber shot guns in the “fishing” camp. At this point nothing to do, just make a report.

We left frustrated. The next day, 15 km downstream we saw a hippo drifting with the current, one of the two hippos that were now displaced and looking for a new home. Hippos need grassy banks to graze; there are only forested banks downstream on the Lomami. Alas.”

A Hippo on the Lomami.

Early APRIL 2011 The ICCN, Congo Parks institute, sends two guards with one of our team leaders, Xavier, to check up on Parc Hippo after getting John’s report. They go with the Governor’s decree forbidding parrot trapping and they try to find out if there is any relation between the illegal hunting and Colonel Thom’s return among the Balanga.

They arrive overland to Bene Kamba. Immediately they are met by Délos, colonel Thom’s brother, and by his friend, Le Sérieux, who run to get the village chief. Chief Beloko is belligerent. “There is no Park near Bene Kamba; What have you come to do here?; Give me your mission order, I must inspect it.”

Le Sérieux reads Xavier’s “Mission Order” with Chief Beloko, in red, next to him.

Xavier and the park guards continue on towards Parc Hippo. They find it abandoned with seven dead parrots left on the ground and four empty cages. A fisherman tells them what happened. After John left to continue downstream, the parrot trappers went to Colonel Thoms who assured them that they had his authorization to stay — as long as he got 30% of the proceeds of their captures. When they left it was with at least 400 parrots.

This country belongs to Colonel Thoms. Délos and Le Sérieux are his tax collectors. The law of DR Congo has little relevance.

By Terese Hart | Posted in Law and Order | Comments (5)

Anarchy and the Absurd in Central Congo – 1

April 26, 2011 – 7:46 pm

Part 1 – The Lobaye Crossing

BACKGROUND

Welcome to the Lobaye, anarchy starts here.

We don’t really know when this story began – it is old — and we don’t yet see its end….

WHERE WE START: A Park needs law and order – not anarchy. Law depends on basic agreement between people about how society works. To move the national park proposal towards law, we participated in village meetings and held workshops inviting all local chiefs. One workshop was in Opala, north of the protected area in November 2010.

Standing room only at the Opala workshop for chiefs and other authorities in November 2010

A FEW WORRYING SIGNS

November 2010 – first vignette:
John and Maurice docked their dugout at the tiny village of Masasi on the Lomami. They were picking up the village chief to bring north to our workshop. John had just climbed the bank, when a drunken man lurched up from his chair and heaved towards him, “You stole my forest – you stole my forest”.

John stumbled back, “What’s this about?” Maurice knew. “That is Colonel Thoms,” he shouted as they revved the dugout motor. The village chief, safely on board, grimly nodded.

But how could that be? Colonel Thoms was in high security prison.
Mass rapist, elephant poacher, self-declared Maimai leader. If he had “escaped” shouldn’t there be a police posse on his tail?

Colonel Thoms continued south up the Lomami: two men in a dugout with a paddle.

John and Maurice first saw Colonel Thoms at Masasi village in the Orientale Province. Now he is in Maniema Province, northwest of Katopa.

December 2010 – second vignette:
Two poachers were arrested at the village of Bimbi with military rifle and elephant meat. The tusks were already gone. One of the poachers was Colonel Thom’s cousin. By now the “colonel”, himself, was 150 kilometers south-southwest, armed and with a rabble of followers.

February and March 2011 – third vignette at the center of TL2 (Tshuapa-Lomami-Lualaba region).
Ephrem, our field leader at the remote village of Obenge, 120 km south of Opala, reported a new group of brigands. Elephant poachers?

Then Ephrem’s thuraya messages took a strange turn:
“Jacques –- evangelist — is here. Sent by Pastor Moses. On his way south to Thoms.”

Evangelists enlist a bandit? This was for what sort of Crusade? (Pastor Moses, revivalist, reincarnation and leader of throngs will be subject of future post)

Then a more disturbing message:
“Jacques put cross at our door. Death threat. We are in insecurity.”

Ephrem sent a message of alarm by thuraya when he found the cross traced at the door of our compound in Obenge

TRYING TO DO SOMETHING

Was there any immediate threat? Probably not – Ephrem did not flee — but this undercurrent of anarchy would erode the strength of the chiefs’ consensus for a park.

John was in the south. He would come down the Lomami towards Obenge in the dugout with a field team to support Ephrem (more about John’s trip in another post). I was in the north with Maurice at Kisangani. Maurice would come south by motorcycle and continue by dugout where the road gave out. Maurice wanted to bring a military authority from Kisangani. He knew who could make a difference: Major Guy is calm and authoritative; he’s worked with us before. Would General Kifwa agree to let him come? He did.

Major Guy and Maurice took off from Kisangani on the 29th of March.

29 March 2010 fourth vignette close to Kisangani.
They had not gone far (70 km) before they had their first encounter with lawlessness. Trees axed down were lying across seven km of road. It took two and a half hours of heavy-lifting and hauling to reach the Lobaye crossing (see map above).

Local boys helped weave the motorbikes through the obstacle course

Across the last felled trees, they reached the banks of the Lobaye River and a mob of more than 100 angry men. Major Guy’s “call to order” started the first day out from Kisangani and 140 km before Opala where we had thought his work would begin.

There were spears, shotguns, knives and cross-bows in the crowd — they were angry!

The Lobaye population was up in arms over the crossing of their river. They had to move their rice to market, but the cost of crossing the river had escalated and was controlled by a local cartel. What’s more a profusion of petty, self-appointed taxmen had set up shop. The national government had put in a barge at great expense to some funder (EU? World Bank?). The motor was fritzed after two or three crossings and the dugout-ferries operated as a cartel having paid-off authorities in Kisangani.

Major Guy listened and in remarkably little time worked out a compromise.

Major Guy spoke with clarity and authority. Maurice in jeans beside him.

The population will clear out the felled trees. The dugouts will take down prices. The cost of one passenger will be half a dollar. All goods (bags of rice, bicycles, goats…) are reopened to a negotiated price with the population. All taxes are suspended until the Province clarifies amounts and representatives. Major Guy left the local military in charge.

The standoff ended in celebration, as Major Guy and Maurice were pushed off in the first dugout to cross the Lobaye in days.

A few days later, the trees were cleared and the dugouts were ferrying rice across the Lobaye. BUT…
1. How long will order last?
2. On what authority did Major Guy reinstate order?

Possible answer to question 1: At the base of this uprising were self-seeking opportunists that wanted to avoid scrutiny. Order will last until they think they have another opening to intimidate and extort.

Possible answer to question 2: People are social and anarchy is asocial; therefore, law and order that is fair will have a following. Any authority, perceived as just, could reinstate order.

Question : Will Maurice and Major Guy find it so “easy” deeper into the Lomami wilderness?

This is the first of several posts on anarchy in the TL2. I thank our team leaders and I thank John for the photos, the detailed reporting, their courage and their good humor.

By Terese Hart | Posted in Elephant, Law and Order | Comments (3)

In Memoriam – Victim of Kinshasa Plane Crash

April 6, 2011 – 8:15 am

Monday, 4 April 2011, a plane of the UN mission to DRCongo, Monusco, crashed on landing at the Kinshasa airport, N’djili. Thirty-three people lost their lives and among them, Mendes Masudi, who was Vice Governor of Maniema Province in 2009.

Mendes Masudi, in front, arrives to give the opening speech at our first big workshop in Kindu.

As vice-governor he was our strongest ally in the provincial government. He pushed hard to get the first no-hunting season established. He wanted six months with no hunting and no bushmeat in the market. Finally a three month season became law.

It was his staunch support that gave credibility to the case for conservation of Maniema’s rich Lomami hinterland. Congo’s forests have lost an advocate. Alas.

By Terese Hart | Posted in uncategorized | Comments (4)