Overview
- The Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature confirmed an armed attack on the park’s Lusinga headquarters in Katanga province that left five staff members dead.
- The authority denounced the incursion as a flagrant violation of national law and international conventions protecting natural areas.
- Local reports attribute the assault, along with looting and infrastructure damage, to Mayi‑Mayi militia, a claim not independently verified in these statements.
- Prince William posted on the official Prince and Princess of Wales Instagram expressing sorrow and honoring the bravery of conservation workers.
- Upemba, created in 1939 and once home to black rhino, elephants, buffaloes, leopards and lions, has suffered severe wildlife declines as insecurity undermines conservation.