Who gains from saving nature
Ledger 1 : 33 — For each dollar financing nature-based solutions in 2023, about $33 financed activities harmful to nature. (UNEP)
Cases / Killings and repression of defenders · DR Congo · 2002–2020

Salonga National Park ranger abuses (DR Congo)

Nature's voice · report
No measurement of the harm done to me here is on record.
Did nature suffer? Not measured.
People
  • 3 people died.
    Men murdered by park rangers, 2002–2016, according to a WWF-commissioned investigation as stated by Rainforest Foundation UK (March 2019).
What the record lacks: 1 none on record · 4 insufficient · 1 not measured · 3 disputed · 3 unclear See the gaps

Rangers in Salonga National Park, which WWF co-manages with the Congolese parks authority ICCN, were reported to have killed, raped and tortured people between 2002 and 2016. An independent panel appointed by WWF found no evidence that WWF staff directed abuses, and found that WWF had not fulfilled its human rights commitments in relation to Salonga.

3 men murdered, 6 women raped, 3 men torturedKillings, rapes and torture by park rangers, 2002–2016, as confirmed by a WWF-commissioned investigation
Figures as stated by Rainforest Foundation UK in March 2019; the investigation itself was not published.

Status As of the latest record (October 2026): the panel report of 24 November 2020 stated that Salonga cases had not resulted in prosecution as of July 2020, and no later ruling on Salonga was found.

What?
Rangers in Salonga National Park were reported to have murdered 3 men, raped 6 women and tortured 3 men between 2002 and 2016, according to a WWF-commissioned investigation as stated by Rainforest Foundation UK. Rainforest Foundation UK
Where?
Salonga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo, 3.6 million hectares and described as Africa's largest forest park.
When?
Incidents 2002–2016; co-management memorandum of understanding August 2015; German funding freeze July 2019; panel report 24 November 2020. Independent panel (Navi Pillay, John Knox, Kathy MacKinnon)
Who?
Gained
  • WWF — Co-manager of Salonga since an August 2015 memorandum of understanding; more than US$150 million from the US government since 2004 for this work (a network-wide figure, not specific to Salonga).
Lost
None on record
Harmed
  • Men and women reported as murdered, raped or tortured by park rangers — 3 men murdered, 6 women raped, 3 men tortured, 2002–2016; four women, two of them pregnant, described as whipped and raped in the leaked draft. Rainforest Foundation UK
Why?
The panel stated that WWF DRC's March 2017 decision to investigate was not implemented, apparently out of concern about resistance from ICCN, and that no agreements with state partners contained human rights provisions. Independent panel (Navi Pillay, John Knox, Kathy MacKinnon)
How?
A leaked draft investigation, reported by BuzzFeed News, described four women whipped and raped, two of them pregnant; WWF said it referred six cases to the military prosecutor. BuzzFeed News (Tom Warren)
6 of 6 questions answered from the record

What happened

The record, in order.

Salonga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been co-managed by WWF and the Congolese parks authority ICCN under an August 2015 memorandum of understanding. KfW, the German development bank, is a funder of the park.

In March 2019 Rainforest Foundation UK stated that a WWF-commissioned investigation had confirmed that park rangers murdered 3 men, raped 6 women and tortured 3 men between 2002 and 2016. A leaked draft of the investigation, reported by BuzzFeed News, described four women, two of them pregnant, who were whipped and raped. An investigator on the matter fled after threats.

WWF said it referred six cases to the military prosecutor (the Auditeur militaire) and that ICCN suspended the suspected ecoguards. Germany froze funding to WWF for Salonga in July 2019.

An independent panel appointed by WWF in April 2019 and chaired by Navi Pillay published its report on 24 November 2020. On Salonga it stated that WWF DRC decided in March 2017 to investigate, but that the investigation "was never implemented, apparently out of concern that doing so would meet with resistance from ICCN". It also stated that "WWF has not fulfilled its human rights commitments in relation to activities it supports in Salonga", and that as of July 2020 the cases had gone to military authorities "but had not resulted in prosecution". The panel stated that it saw no evidence that WWF staff directed or took part in the alleged abuses.

A separate account states that a military court in Bukavu convicted ten ecoguards from Kahuzi-Biega and Salonga parks of murder, rape and torture in 2020. The number from Salonga is not given.

  1. 2002Start of the period in which rangers are reported to have murdered 3 men, raped 6 women and tortured 3 men (to 2016)
  2. 2015August: WWF and ICCN sign a memorandum of understanding to co-manage Salonga; four women, two of them pregnant, are recorded as raped
  3. 2017March: WWF DRC decides to investigate; the investigation is not carried out
  4. 2018A survey of 231 people in 11 villages is reported (unverified; see unknown)
  5. 2019March: Rainforest Foundation UK and BuzzFeed News report the investigation findings; April: WWF's independent panel appointed; July: Germany freezes funding to WWF for Salonga
  6. 2020July: cases at military authorities have not resulted in prosecution (panel); a Bukavu military court is reported to convict ten ecoguards from Kahuzi-Biega and Salonga; 24 November: panel report published

What was said

Claims, in the words of those who made them.

“was never implemented, apparently out of concern that doing so would meet with resistance from ICCN.”

“WWF has not fulfilled its human rights commitments in relation to activities it supports in Salonga”

“but had not resulted in prosecution”

“no allegations that WWF staff directed or participated in any of these alleged abuses, and the Panel saw no evidence”

“inconsistent. and especially weak in the Congo Basin countries”

Where accounts differ

Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.

Did the referred cases lead to prosecutions?
Communities and civil society
WWF

Said it referred six cases to the military prosecutor and that ICCN suspended the suspected ecoguards.

BuzzFeed News (Tom Warren)
Researchers
Independent panel appointed by WWF

As of July 2020 the cases had gone to military authorities "but had not resulted in prosecution".

Independent panel (Navi Pillay, John Knox, Kathy MacKinnon)
Courts
Bukavu military court

Reported to have convicted ten ecoguards from Kahuzi-Biega and Salonga of murder, rape and torture in 2020; the number from Salonga is not given.

Did WWF meet its human rights commitments in Salonga?
Researchers
Independent panel appointed by WWF

Stated that WWF has not fulfilled its human rights commitments in relation to activities it supports in Salonga, and that it saw no evidence that WWF staff directed or participated in the alleged abuses.

Independent panel (Navi Pillay, John Knox, Kathy MacKinnon)
Communities and civil society
WWF

Said it embraces the panel's recommendations.

WWF (via WWF Belgium)

How it looked

What was shown, beside what was recorded.

Shown

  • WWF said it referred six cases to the military prosecutor (Auditeur militaire) and that ICCN suspended the suspected ecoguards.
    WWF · BuzzFeed News (Tom Warren)
  • WWF said it embraces the panel's recommendations: codes of conduct for ecoguards as a condition of WWF support, complaint mechanisms, monitoring of patrols, and suspension and prosecution of accused ecoguards.
    WWF · WWF (via WWF Belgium)

Recorded

  • A WWF-commissioned investigation confirmed that park rangers murdered 3 men, raped 6 women and tortured 3 men between 2002 and 2016 (as stated by Rainforest Foundation UK, March 2019).
    Rainforest Foundation UK
  • A leaked draft of the investigation described four women whipped and raped, two of them pregnant (BuzzFeed News).
    BuzzFeed News (Tom Warren)
  • The panel stated that no agreements or memoranda of understanding with state partners contained human rights provisions, and that no donor project agreements before 2019 required human rights due diligence.
    Independent panel (Navi Pillay, John Knox, Kathy MacKinnon)
  • Germany froze funding to WWF for Salonga in July 2019.
    BuzzFeed News (Tom Warren)

Who gained

Money that reached nature, beside money that stayed elsewhere.

Reached nature or the ground

Not published
No figure published.

Gained elsewhere

Not totalled
Currency: USD · Window: . All figures cover the same period. * Estimate built from cited figures.

Responses on record

  • wwf (Date not given): Referred six cases to the military prosecutor (Auditeur militaire); ICCN suspended the suspected ecoguards. · BuzzFeed News (Tom Warren)
  • wwf (November 2020): Said it embraces the panel's recommendations, including codes of conduct for ecoguards, complaint mechanisms and patrol monitoring. · WWF (via WWF Belgium)

In court and with insurers

Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.

Lawsuits and rulings

  1. Outcome not on record
    Referral of Salonga ecoguard cases to military prosecutors
    Military prosecutor (Auditeur militaire) · Criminal · Military prosecutor (six cases referred, according to WWF) → Suspected ecoguards (not named)

    WWF said it referred six cases to the Auditeur militaire. The independent panel stated that as of July 2020 the cases had gone to military authorities but had not resulted in prosecution. Independent panel (Navi Pillay, John Knox, Kathy MacKinnon)

  2. 2020Outcome not on record
    Military court conviction of ecoguards (Kahuzi-Biega and Salonga)
    Military court, Bukavu · Criminal · State prosecution (not specified) → Ten ecoguards from Kahuzi-Biega and Salonga parks (not named)

    A separate account states that the court convicted ten ecoguards of murder, rape and torture. The number from Salonga is not given, and the account conflicts with the panel's July 2020 statement on Salonga cases.

Insurers

No insurer decision on record.

What nature saw

Outcomes measured on the ground, and nature's note.

Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.

People reported killed, raped or tortured by rangers
3 + 6 + 3
2002–2016; WWF-commissioned investigation, as stated by Rainforest Foundation UK
Prosecutions of Salonga rangers
None reported
Cases sent to military authorities had not resulted in prosecution as of July 2020 (panel)
Investigation report published
No
Rainforest Foundation UK called on WWF to release details of the investigation

What we don't know

Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
Deaths reportedKey earnings undisclosed

Nature

  • Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.

Court

  • Unclear Referral of Salonga ecoguard cases to military prosecutors: outcome not on record.
  • Unclear Military court conviction of ecoguards (Kahuzi-Biega and Salonga): outcome not on record.

Figures

  • Insufficient Survey respondents: Survey in 11 villages; about one in four reported ranger violence. Reported but not independently verified.
  • Insufficient Convicted ecoguards: Reported convictions in Bukavu of ecoguards from Kahuzi-Biega and Salonga combined; the Salonga share is not given and conflicts with the panel's July 2020 statement.

Accounts

  • Disputed Did the referred cases lead to prosecutions?
  • Disputed Did WWF meet its human rights commitments in Salonga?

Record

  • Unclear Whether any Salonga ranger has been prosecuted: the panel stated that cases sent to military authorities had not resulted in prosecution as of July 2020, and no prosecution for Salonga was found afterwards.
  • Disputed Conflicting accounts: a Bukavu military court is reported to have convicted ten ecoguards from Kahuzi-Biega and Salonga in 2020, while the panel stated in July 2020 that Salonga cases had not resulted in prosecution. The number of Salonga rangers among the ten is not given and the two accounts are not reconciled.
  • Insufficient Reported but not independently verified: in connection with the 2015 attack on four women, two of them pregnant, six rangers were tried and five were acquitted.
  • Insufficient Reported but not independently verified: a 2018 survey of 231 people in 11 villages in which about one in four reported ranger violence.
  • None on record The full report of the WWF-commissioned investigation had not been published; Rainforest Foundation UK called on WWF to release its details.

Did the harm stop?

The record does not state when the reported ranger violence in Salonga ended. It records events from 2002 to 2016, a German funding freeze in July 2019, and a panel statement in July 2020 that referred cases had not resulted in prosecution.

Who paid?

The men and women reported as murdered, raped or tortured by park rangers between 2002 and 2016.

Sources

Voices on record: ✓ Company or project✓ Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations✓ Communities and civil society✓ Researchers

Company or project

Government and regulators

Press and investigations

Communities and civil society

Researchers

Connected cases

Related matters, and cases linked to this one through the same organisations, with the role each played in both.
Terms used on this page

Science and environment

Hectare (ha)
A unit of area equal to 10,000 square metres, about 2.5 acres. 100 hectares make one square kilometre.
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