Effective long-term protection of the few surviving gorillas and their habitat demands cooperative conservation work among all three countries.

Local communities must be involved in decision-making about how to manage the nearby protected areas, so that they have a stake in conserving the gorillas and their habitat.

Conservation through Cooperation:

• The importance of protecting the Virunga Heartland has been recognised by other conservation and humanitarian organisations. The Bwindi and Virunga National Parks have been designated World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, and Volcano National Park has been named a Biosphere Reserve

• The Virungas are also a priority site for "Peace Park" designation. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) believes that the 100 protected areas throughout the world that straddle national borders, as do the Virungas, present a unique opportunity for regional collaboration and can promote political cooperation and avoid conflicts over shared resources. IUCN has begun promoting the role of these transfrontier parks as "Parks for Peace" and the Virungas in particular is a priority for conservation action.

• The African Wildlife Foundation's (AWF) own experience, working on the ground in much of the Virunga Heartland for more than two decades, confirms IUCN's perspective. Throughout the many civil conflicts, the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) - a joint programme between AWF, Fauna and Flora International and the World Wide Fund for Nature - has provided consistent support to the region's parks in all three countries.

• One of IGCP's chief successes is fostering cooperation among DRC, Rwanda and Uganda to safeguard the mountain gorillas and their habitat. Despite tensions among the three countries, IGCP regularly brings together park staff, government officials and other partners to discuss common issues: for example, how to work effectively with surrounding communities and how to foster safe ecotourism. IGCP also helps to coordinate regional activities such as joint patrols and a shared ecological monitoring programme and supporting database.

"Nowhere in Africa is the need more urgent, the case clearer and the long-term prospects for success greater for the AWF Heartlands approach than in the mountains of Central Africa's Great Lakes region," says Cary Farley, AWF's Virunga Heartland coordinator.

To implement the Virunga Heartland Program, AWF will build on IGCP's success in protecting mountain gorillas and will expand to address other conservation priorities. While continuing to collaborate with colleagues in the government, AWF also will work with communities, the private sector and local and national organisations to protect the extraordinary forests and species of this unique Virunga Heartland.

Fortunately, the African Wildlife Foundation is in an unparalleled position to meet this challenge.”

Thanks to Alton Byers for extracts from his paper-“