THIS is a milestone……
Release June 17 2025 from one of three rehabilitation centers, in three different provinces.
Now three provinces in Congo have declared: “No Parrot Trafficking within our borders.”
The provinces of Maniema, Sankuru and Tshopo that have forbidden all parrot trafficking activities.
In October 2023, the national Secretary General said, “you are on the right path, but there must be three provinces.” At that time, we only had the relatively weak message from the governor of one province, Maniema, forbidding parrot capture.
In March 2025, the Cabinet Directeur for the national Minister Bazaiba, congratulated us, but said we needed a third province.
By that time, we had a stronger arrêté (law) from Maniema province and a governor’s message from Sankuru and we were hopeful for Tshopo. “When you have three provinces,” the Cabinet Director said, “we can push for protection at the national level.”
Moise Imani and I in Kinshasa with the cabinet director, Aldariche (in suit and tie), and Mputu, the minister’s advisor for nature conservation (far right).
That was a tacit admission that the traffickers influence reaches high places, But also a statement that it has limits. Even the top of the government would shrug off the well-monied trafficker-lobbyists, if popular opinion was strong enough and the provincial governments united.
Some within the national administration have been rooting for us and parrot protection from the beginning;
They feel the pressure from the international community, mainly from CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) of which DRCongo is a member.
The African Grey Parrot is an endangered species (IUCN Red List) and is a no-trade (Annex 1) CITES species. DRCongo is the number-one exporter of wild-caught grey parrots and even after it became an Annex 1 species in January 2017, captures and shipments within DRCongo continued to rise. CITES requested Congo’s compliance; they wanted legal proof that Congo had forbidden parrot capture nationally. CITES first asked for compliance with its ruling 8 years ago, and have reiterated it regularly, most recently, this year.
Two top parrot-traffickers in Kinshasa arguing with Moise Imani (on left) of Lukuru’s P3CK core group.
Parrot trafficker-lobbyists concentrated their influence in high places in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa. If we wanted to make a difference, we had to start working up-country at the source — far from the influence-money. We knew of parrot concentrations and major trade in the center of the country: in the provinces of Manema, Sankuru, Tshopo, Ituri and Nord Uele.
Getting a no Parrot-trafficking law in the first province was hard,
One step forward and two steps back. Maniema province was a slippery slope.
Our first meeting, in July 2023, with advisors to Maniema’s Governor Mangala was very favorable.
Although the politicians’ advisors and cabinets supported us, it was not enough. Governor Mangala signed an official message banning the parrot trade, But then –twice – essentially rescinded it by allowing the traffickers to export first 500 and then 400 parrots in the space of six months.
After Governor Mangala left office, his own Ministers, here the Minister of the Interior, helped the Parrot cause that he denigrated.
In the end, after Mangala left office, his own administration wrote the stronger law. The arrêté still stands and is championed by our current Maniema governor Mussa and minister of the environment, Francis Lutaka.
Maniema’s minister of the environment, in white shirt, comes to witness release.
How is an “arrêté” stronger than a “official message”?
An arrêté can be entered into the official Record of Law for DRCongo; an official message can only be media-proclaimed;
An arrêté is backed by judicial precedent; an official message has only the authority of the governor’s office;
An arrêté cannot be modified or retracted without consensus of all the ministers; an official message can be withdrawn by the governor alone.
The next two provinces were quicker;
First, in April 2024, the governor Lodi of Sankuru signed an official message.
After a shift in top provincial government, the new governor Kitenge seemed ready to dismiss the message.
Lusambo is a logistical nightmare. Cargo plane to MbujiMayi and a full day on the motorbike.
Moise Imani, of our P3CK core group, worked in Sankuru province’s remote capital, Lusambo, from 17 April to 29 April 2025. Lusambo is a colonial anachronism whose airport is mainly used by a shopkeeper’s private single-engine plane. Moise got there and back, from the closest public airport, by all-day motorbike rides. But he was successful. He worked through his contacts at the environment coordination and through the provincial environment minister and the cabinet of the governor. The arrêté was signed by Governor Kitenge on the 29th of April.
Leon, far left, working with the cabinet of the environmental minister to formulate an arrêté.
Simultaneously, Leon Salumu, also of our P3CK core group, was at work in Tshopo province, where the stakes are the highest. We have had undercover work at the Tshopo airport since 2014. Over a thousand African Greys have been leaving the airport monthly, and that is since trade became illegal internationally.
In Tshopo, the evidence of big money working to keep parrot trade illegal was almost open. Important government supporters of a parrot law, suddenly become reluctant, even worked against us.
But Leon had some strong backing. Tshopo’s Minister of the Environment, Bijou Koy, with her cabinet director and the Governor’s own Cabinet Director have been steady and behind the new law. They pushed the arrêté to signature by governor Lendongolia on March 19th. And Minister Koy has been a strong proponent for publicizing and enforcing the law ever since.
Mme the Minister Bijou Koy, in khaki, at the parrot rehabilitation site in Kisangani (CCP-Tshopo).
Minister Koy informing government agents at the road barrier, above, into Kisangani.
SO, Now, we are three.
Now, an advisor of the National Minister, Mme Bazaiba, has called us to come to the capital, Kinshasa.
Minister Bazaiba wants a national Law before the next CITES conference of Parties in November. Can it happen?
Parrots in a trader’s cage, stocked for shipment.
Legal progress bounded forward during the last months, now we have to work towards a proportional impact on the trade. We’ve made it much harder, and the traders have become much more devious.
