UNESCO Removes DR Congo Park From Endangered List
Voice of America
KINSHASA, D.R.C. - The Democratic Republic of Congo scored a key heritage victory on Monday as UNESCO removed one of its nature reserves from a list of threatened sites, the U.N. agency said.
UNESCO praised the country's conservation efforts and the government's commitment to ban prospecting for oil in Salonga, the vast central African country's largest public park. The World Heritage Committee cited "improvements towards its conservation state" in its decision, according to a statement Monday. "Regular monitoring of the wild fauna shows that the bonobo (ape) populations remain stable within the territory despite past pressure, and that the forest elephant population is starting to come back," the statement said.Israeli soldiers clean a tank gun barrel after returning from the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, near the Israel-Gaza border, in Israel, June 5, 2024. FILE - U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the Middle East at the White House in Washington, May 31, 2024. Local residents protest U.S. President Joe Biden's administration support of Israel amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas as U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to Oakland, California, June 5, 2024.
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