Dr. Annika Hillers, Director of the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), is in a mourning garment for the Sapo National Park, ruined by illegal miners.
“Sapo National Park is in crisis. All the protected areas in Liberia are in crises,” Dr. Hillers said when Superintendent Peter Wleh Nyensuah of Sinoe County and an arrayed of government’s officials and journalists visited Jalay Town, the park’s headquarters and warned the illegals miners in the park to immediately leave.
The Sapo National Park was established 1983 by an act of National Legislature. It has demarcation with Sinoe, Grand Gedeh and River Gee counties, and it is about 180,365 hectares. It has 74 surrounding villages and towns.
To have a positive impact on the park upon her arrival in Liberia, Dr. Hillers said they came to do more but was blocked. She did not reveal who blocked them.
“We come to Sapo National Park to do more, unfortunately we were blocked from doing so, and the only thing we were allowed to do was equatorial reform,” Dr. Hillers said.
However, for time in memorial messages by successive governments to dislodge illegal miners from the park to those who dwell adjacent the park had been a fiasco. But seeing the superintendent canvassing along with the county’s Attorney, police commander, prison commander, Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency’s Commander, Liberia Immigration Service commander, journalists, and so on, for the park’s freedom, moved Dr. Hillers and she said that they will fulfil their initial plans for the park.
“We see things are changing, and we will be allowed to do more,” Dr. Hillers said. “I say a big thanks to the superintendent for providing excellent leadership. I can see government taking ownership of the park, and this information should cause those involved, who are causing serious problem for Liberia, to behave themselves.”
Bordering county citizens, government officials and influential people are not loyal to the park’s protection and prevention of illegal miners. They are the masterminds of the Sapo National Park’s destruction.
“We have a list of government officials that are part of the illegal mining. Chiefs, paramount chiefs, clan chiefs, and commissioners, mayors, “Superintendent Nyensuah said. “I got the information before the county tour; after the tour, I would order their arrest—and all those involved.”
“Those causing the problem are influential people who have their own personal interest and who are manipulating the local community,” Dr. Hillers also added.
Sinoe County has 70% of the park, while Grand Gedeh County has 25%, and River Gee County has 5%. Youthful population of these counties, foreigners, fugitives, employed men and women are currently flooded in the park mining illegally, and using the proceeds to support their families. Their action is a setback for tourist presence in the park and undermines any benefit for Liberia, future generation and the globe as mining sites are common, as are single barrel firing sounds and polluted water.
“The park is important for Liberia and the entire world,” Hillers said. “Liberia has a special forest with animals that people will come to see, that people will come and support. And if those things are destroyed it will be a lost for the current and future generations, and the entire world.”
Protected areas in Liberia are under pressure from local community, government officials, agency, influential citizens and foreigners –for mining gold, diamond, and for farming.
“Too much pressure on protected areas,” Dr. Hiller said, as she called on the Ministry of Agriculture, Mines and Energy and Liberia Land Authority to form forest and protected areas protective collaboration. “It is about time for the Forest Development Authority (FDA) to be proactive. The park is the most protected area for chimpanzee and other species.”
However, The Forestry Development Authority (FDA), whose function is to ensure the sustainable management and conservation of the country’s forest and related natural resources for the benefit of current and future generation, is blamed for illegal miners’ occupation.
The illegal miners spoke with journalists and other government officials whom the superintendent sent in the Sapo National Park to verify. They said their action in the park is due to the lack of jobs for youth of the communities surrounding the park; failure of FDA to establish community watch forum as a means of empowering the community dwellers surrounding the park that they may become empowered financially for their children to obtain good education; failure on the part of FDA and government to undertake development in affected communities that depend on mining, hunting, farming, fishing, and son on.
The Sarpo National Park is being hugely damaged due to the huge mining activities that are causing the protected species to escape to neighboring countries, as well as the cultivation and undermining of trees and pollution of waters.
However, prescription Paracetamol is sold for L$400, and a single light bulb for electricity is L$1,000 per night. Drug transaction and drug addicts are common in the park.
The Rangers of the park are challenged: they lack logistics, especially firearm, and they are about forty, according to Nora G. Bowier, Deputy Manager for Community Conservation and Carbon of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA).
Bowier said that the number of rangers in the park is small, adding that this is one of the reasons “we have people entering the park”.
The road leading to the park’s headquarters is deplorable, and the headquarters lacks safe-drinking water, electricity, internet and communication services.
Bowier said the manager of the park is supervised by the FDA, and because the number of rangers are not enough they have collaborated with partners and created the Eco-guard, which is an auxiliary group to the rangers, but it is community-based.
She said low budgetary constraint is hampering the FDA’s operation, hoping that government will gradually address the issues affecting the park through its international partners.
