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The community lives in different sectors of the Musanze district like Nyange in the North of Rwanda, Kinigi which neighbors the Volcanos National Park worried about the buffalos that leave the park, destroy, and eat their crops, injuring and killing.
Manizabayo Jean Népo lives in Gisigwa village, Nyange sector. He testifies, “The buffalos come in around 11 PM and eat our crops, injuring people and taking the lives of others.” He adds that they come in groups; “When we try to hunt them, they fight against us. And we have no right to kill them.”
Niyibizi Innocent who lives in Ninda Cell, Nyange sector agrees. The buffalos came three times to his potato field and ate them: “I had a big loss. When they come, they eat the crops, they decimate the whole field, and they go back to the park. When we declare our loss to the Special Guarantee Fund, the latter pays an amount which is not equal to the damaged crops.” For Niyibizi, a field where the damaged crops are estimated at one hundred thousand Rwandan francs, SGF pays twenty thousand Rwandan francs, an amount which according to Niyibizi is far less than the damage cost.
Damaged crops, injured people
On May 27, 2022, in Cyabagarura Cell, Musanze sector, 34-year-old Mukarugwiza Agnès was killed by a buffalo that entered the courtyard of the house. Her four-year-old baby, who was carried on her back during the incident, was also injured. Rudakubana François, brother of Agnès said that when she died in Musanze hospital, her family paid all the expenses. But only two hundred thousand Rwandan francs were given by the SGF. And, surprisingly, this amount was given to bury the deceased. So far, the family is struggling to obtain further compensation. “My sister had three children and a husband. When I arrived at the SGF with my lawyer, they told me that they would only give us three million two hundred Rwandan francs (3,200,000frw). How can we be paid such a sum when at the hospital we paid all the drug costs for her and her small child who was injured by the buffalo? We used many tickets to recover the necessary documents…At least we have paid 350 thousand Rwandan francs for medical care services and transport,” says François Rudakubana adding he will not stop until he gets justice for his sister.
Habimana a citizen from the Nyange sector was injured and eight teeth were knocked out. He is under treatment at the Center Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali.
Ngoga Telesphore, a conservation analyst with the tourism and conservation department of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), said that on the outskirts of the Volcanoes National Park, a stone wall and a bridge have been built to prevent animals from harming people, including buffaloes and elephants. To make it more effective large trenches were dug around it to prevent the buffaloes from crossing easily. In Ngoga’s opinion, this wall was very useful because the animals were stopped from oppressing the community.
But there are weaknesses. When this solution was put in place, some areas proved difficult to build the wall due to the terrain, this is the point where many buffaloes managed to pass.
“RDB plans to cooperate further with the community to repair the wall and remove the dams (small rivers found in the park). “This also includes strengthening the existing stone wall,” adds Telesphore. In the long term, however, the government has begun planning for the expansion of Volcanoes National Park. When this is done, new fencing using a stronger method than usual will be used to prevent any damage from animals saving people from worry and allowing them to focus on activities that increase their productivity.
This solution has proved to work elsewhere, in Uganda. There used to be running conflicts between communities and animals including buffaloes, at the borders of the Kibale National Park. The animals would sneak from the forest at the Park, invade people’s farms, destroy their crops, and even injure and kill them. The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) thought of a deterrent and dug a long trench at the border of the Park. The trench reduced the conflicts, as confirmed by people who live in the Kamwenge district, around this park.
Besides this, the government runs a program that allocates part of the tourism income to the people living around the park. This encourages locals to appreciate conservation more and thus take part in protecting the wildlife.
Delays in compensation
Angélique Mukamurenzi, the communication officer at the Special Guarantee Fund (SGF) says that to pay people’s damages, there is a form they have placed in each sector where the affected citizen fills in the damaged goods. After the assessment of the complaint, the resident is immediately compensated: “The delay in paying compensation is caused by people who delay in fulfilling the conditions (…), there are those who provide unregistered bank accounts, those who don’t have bank accounts…all of these failings cause delays sometimes.”
According to the special guarantee fund financial statements for the year ended 30, June 2021 during the year under review a total of 4,979 new claims were received of which 4,642 were related to the wild animals’ damages (2,989 from Northern province,1409 from East, 71 from the south,171 from western and 2 from Kigali city. Compared to the year 2019-2020.
64% of total claims were from Northern, 44 claims were rejected and 344 Million were compensated to 3,939 (North 150 Million paid to 2,522 claims, Frw 173 M paid to 1,166 claims in East, FRW 13 paid to 162 claims in West, Frw 8 M paid to 82 in south and 153,980 paid to 8 claims in Kigali city) While 1,739 claims are still end of June 2021.
The total number of new claims received increased by 42% attributed to wild animals’ damages. 1.3 Billion was compensated for 4,286 claims, And FRW 344.9 million was paid to 3,939 claims for wild animal damages. At the end of the period under review, 1935 claims are pending where 1739 are claims related to the animals’ damages.
In 2016/2017 claims of wild animals were 1,442 in 2017-2018; 1351, in 2018 / 2019 2,995, in 2019/2020 3249 and in 2020/2021 4,642.
Prices depend on the current market
Angelique Mukamurenzi says the amount of compensation to those affected by the buffaloes is set according to current market prices in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Commerce. This is also the case for the injured, as they work with different organizations to meet the needs caused by the damage.
According to Musanze Hospital, between 2019 and 2022, 16 people were injured by buffaloes and one of them died. Others returned after treatment.
Volcanoes National Park is located in the North in four Sectors of Musanze District (Nyange, Kinigi, Shingiro, and Gataraga), Burera District (Cyanika, Rugarama, Gahunga) and two Districts of Western Provinces. Nyabihu District (Mukamira, Jenda, Bigogwe, and Kabatwa); Bugeshi sector of Rubavu District. It has an area of 6000 ha.
At a ceremony to name Gorilla babies held in Kinigi on September 2, 2024, Dr. Edouard Ngirente Prime Minister, said that they will be expanding the Volcanoes National Park. He appealed to the residents to support and own it as it will increase income from tourism.
